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EVENTS IN 2007
The Oscar Wilde Society has an exciting and diverse programme of events year round.
The programme of future events, with booking forms, is published in Intentions the Society's Journal/Newsletter which is issued to all members about six times a year.
Intentions also gives accounts of the Society's recent events, illustrated with photographs.
Some of the events for members during the year so far, and planned for the reminder of the year are:
Art Nouveau in Compton
Oscar Wilde admired 'the glories of the art of George Frederick Watts' including his portraits (one of the best-known being of Lillie
Langtry). With Anne Anderson as our expert guide, we visited the Watts Gallery in Compton and gained valuable insights into Wilde's
era.
Reading Gaol
Tony Stokes who has assembled an historical archive at Reading Prison has written a comprehensive history: Pit of Shame: The Real Ballad of Reading Gaol. He gave a fascinating talk to the Society at an author's lunch in April.
Oscance Day
In May the Society joined in the commemoration of the anniversary of Oscar and Constance's wedding at St James's Church, Paddington. This annual event is organised in association with the Society, the aim being to build up a Commemoration Fund to construct a substantial memorial within the church building.
Luncheon at Magdalen College
At our annual lunch at Magdalen, Pimm's was served in Addison's Walk and after a convivial lunch in the New Room we enjoyed a talk by Dr John Sloan, author
of the Oxford World Classics book Authors in Context: Oscar Wilde, and a special display of items relating to Wilde and Bosie from the College archives.
Annual Birthday Dinner
The annual Birthday Dinner is held at the weekend closest to Oscar's birthday. This year, at Simpson's-in-the-Strand, our speaker
was Rick Gekoski, rare book dealer extraordinaire and author of Tolkien's Gown and other stories of great authors and rare books.
These events are arranged for members and their guests and details and booking forms are in the Society's Newsletter Journal Intentions.
EVENTS IN 2006
This was a typically active year for the Society and members and their guests enjoyed a varied programme of interesting and convivial Wildean occasions.
'Oscar and I' - a new play by Thomas Wright
'Oscar & I' is an exciting new play about the intense and occasionally violent relationship between Robbie Ross,
Lord Alfred Douglas, and Oscar Wilde. In a dramatised reading in February, arranged for the Society, directed by
Alan Caig Wilson, Simon Callow read the part of Oscar and Alex Hassell was Bosie. The reading confirmed this to be
an important play which doesn't aim at exact historical reconstruction, but at the creation of a coherent and
entertaining world. It is full of Wildean wit and pathos and biographical speculation, and many of its ideas are
original and provocative. We hope there will be an opportunity to see a staged production soon.
An Evening with Stephen Fry
The Society's new Hon. Patron, Stephen Fry was our guest of honour and speaker at a crowded Society members'
dinner at the Garrick Club in March. Stephen gave an inimitable, thought-provoking talk, including reminiscences
of being Oscar in the Brian Gilbert film Wilde in 1997. It was both wise and entertaining, playing gracefully with
ideas.
Reading Gaol
The Society has been privileged to be shown this famous small prison a number of times since its first visit in 1994 and we had another fascinating tour in April.
Oscance Day
In May, the Society joined in the commemoration of the anniversary of Oscar and Constance's wedding at
St James's Church, Paddington. This annual event is organised in association with the Society, the aim being to
build up a Commemoration Fund to construct a substantial memorial within the church building. We were entertained by
members of the Questors Theatre Group, and raised our glasses (of champagne) to toast Oscar and Constance.
Artistic Chelsea
On a gloriously sunny June day we explored the streets of Chelsea with the expert guidance of Anne Anderson, seeing the houses of the extraordinary literary and artistic community of Chelsea in the 1880s.
Magdalen College
An annual event is the Society's gathering at Magdalen College for a convivial lunch, and on this occasion in July. a fascinating talk on the Oxford photographer, Jules Guggenheim
Annual General Meeting
This was held at a venue full of Wildean associations, The Cadogan Hotel, and we enjoyed a talk on Decadent London by Antony Clayton.
Annual Birthday Dinner
This is one of the Society's most popular events and in 2006 it was memorable for a talk by Neil McKenna on Edward Shelley "A Boy of Some Importance".
Talk by Joy Melville
In November Joy, whose new Biography of Ellen Terry had just been published gave us a fascinating talk on "Ellen Terry: A Victorian Enigma".
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