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| Oscar Wilde and Arthur Ransome |
A lecture and film at Morecambe Library on Friday 20 March 2015 at 2pm are set to shed new light on how Arthur Ransome, world-famous author of Swallows and Amazons, restored Oscar Wilde’s reputation for genius – but embroiled himself in a notorious libel suit in the process.
Local author and filmmaker Anne Gaelan’s talk ‘Wilde/Ransome‘ describes how Ransome restored public recognition of Wilde’s genius only a decade after his death. The publication of Ransome’s book ‘Oscar Wilde: A critical study‘ in 1912 led to a famous libel suit brought by Wilde’s lover Lord Alfred Douglas (nicknamed ‘Bosie’), which Ransome won. However he himself may have become convinced that Douglas had suffered enough from it as he insisted that the offending passages be omitted from later editions of the book.
The talk highlights Ransome’s direct connection to the local area, corrects inaccuracies and casts new light on Wilde’s relationship with Douglas. It is accompanied by two films made in conjunction with the Lancaster Filmmakers Co-Op, in which the main characters are played by young actors from Lancaster Royal Grammar School.
The entry fee to the lecture is £5/£4 concessions.