Oscar Wilde first hanging at Reading in 18 years. From Wooldridge's hanging, Wilde later wrote "The Ballad of Reading Gaol". Wilde was not, at first, even allowed paper and pen but Haldane eventually succeeded in allowing access to books and writing materials. Wilde requested, among others: the Bible in French; Italian and German grammars; some Ancient Greek texts, Dante's "Divine Comedy", Joris-Karl Huysmans's new French novel about Christian redemption "En Route", and essays by St Augustine, Cardinal Newman and Walter Pater. Between January and March 1897 Wilde wrote a 50,000-word letter to Douglas. He was not allowed to send it, but was
MS Oscar Wilde of Jahre Line to blue hull of Color Line. In January 2007 the ship was sold to Irish Ferries in preparation for the delivery of Color Line's new mega-cruiseferry MS "Color Magic". Irish Ferries chartered the Kronprins Harald back to Color Line until September 2007. The vessel's final sailing for Color Line took place on 31 August 2007 with the northbound Kiel – Oslo crossing. With her Color Line career over, Irish Ferries took control over her on 2 September 2007. Arriving for rebuilding at Fredericia Skibsværft A/S on 4 September, she was renamed MV "Oscar Wilde". She entered service