Description

Book Synopsis
In May of 1895 Oscar Wilde, the century's most dazzling man of letters, was sentenced to two years with hard labour for 'acts of gross indecency with another male person.' On his release he moved to France, where he wrote The Ballad of Reading Gaol: an indictment of the prison system and the death penalty, an anguished plea for prison reform, and a passionate expression of sympathy for his fellow prisoners, those 'souls in pain'. The Ballad of Reading Gaol was a success from its first publication, and to this day some of its lines are among the most famous in the English language. Peter Hay's powerful images are retained in this new edition which contains an Afterword by Peter Stoneley, drawing on unpublished material in the prison archives.

The Ballad of Reading Gaol

    Product form

    £9.49

    Includes FREE delivery

    RRP £9.99 – you save £0.50 (5%)

    Order before 4pm today for delivery by Wed 17 Jun 2026.

    A Paperback / softback by Oscar Wilde, Peter Hay

    1 in stock

      Trusted by thousands of customers. See 2,385+ Customer Reviews

      View other formats and editions of The Ballad of Reading Gaol by Oscar Wilde

      Publisher: Two Rivers Press
      Publication Date: 01/10/2011
      ISBN13: 9781901677751, 978-1901677751
      ISBN10: 1901677753
      Also in:
      Poetry History Local history Books by Oscar Wilde

      Description

      Book Synopsis
      In May of 1895 Oscar Wilde, the century's most dazzling man of letters, was sentenced to two years with hard labour for 'acts of gross indecency with another male person.' On his release he moved to France, where he wrote The Ballad of Reading Gaol: an indictment of the prison system and the death penalty, an anguished plea for prison reform, and a passionate expression of sympathy for his fellow prisoners, those 'souls in pain'. The Ballad of Reading Gaol was a success from its first publication, and to this day some of its lines are among the most famous in the English language. Peter Hay's powerful images are retained in this new edition which contains an Afterword by Peter Stoneley, drawing on unpublished material in the prison archives.

      Recently viewed products

      © 2026 Book Curl

        • American Express
        • Apple Pay
        • Diners Club
        • Discover
        • Google Pay
        • Maestro
        • Mastercard
        • PayPal
        • Shop Pay
        • Union Pay
        • Visa

        Login

        Forgot your password?

        Don't have an account yet?
        Create account