Oscar Wilde 1988 and a Pulitzer Prize in 1989. The book was the basis for the 1997 film "Wilde", directed by Brian Gilbert and starring Stephen Fry as the title character. Neil McKenna's 2003 biography, "The Secret Life of Oscar Wilde," offers an exploration of Wilde's sexuality. Often speculative in nature, it was widely criticised for its pure conjecture and lack of scholarly rigour. Thomas Wright's "Oscar's Books" (2008) explores Wilde's reading from his childhood in Dublin to his death in Paris. After tracking down many books that once belonged to Wilde's Tite Street library (dispersed at the time of his trials),
The Manuscripts of Oscar Wilde and drafts by Wilde, supported by a nearly complete collection of printed editions of his works make useful research material for modern biographers. Original photographs, caricatures, theatre programs, and news cuttings are available. In looking over the material it can be seen that the image of the indolent Wilde, carefree and idle for much of the time, is misleading, although in some sense it is a myth that was perpetuated by the author himself. Wilde had two plays running in London's West End before the scandal erupted. Rehearsals for "The Importance of Being Earnest" even took place on Christmas Day,