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Constance

Franny Moyle

In the spring of 1895 the life of Constance Wilde changed irrevocably. Up until the conviction of her husband Oscar for homosexual crimes she had held a privileged position in society. Part of a gilded couple she was a popular children's author a fashion icon and a leading campaigner for women's rights. A founding member of the magical society the Golden Dawn her pioneering and questioning spirit encouraged her to sample some of the more controversial aspects of her time. Mrs Oscar Wilde was a phenomenon in her own right.

But that spring Constance's entire life was eclipsed by scandal. Forced to flee to the Continent with her two sons her glittering literary and political career ended abruptly. Having changed her name she lived in exile until her death.

Franny Moyle now tells Constance's story with a fresh eye and remarkable new material. Drawing on numerous unpublished letters she brings to life the story of a woman at the heart of fin-de-siècle London and the Aesthetic movement. In a compelling and moving tale of an unlikely couple caught up in a world unsure of its moral footing she uncovers key revelations about a woman who was the victim of one of the greatest betrayals of all time.

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  • Classification : Biography & Memoir
  • Pub Date : FEB 1, 2012
  • Imprint : John Murray
  • Page Extent : 384
  • Binding : PB
  • ISBN : 9781848541641
  • Price : INR 899
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Franny Moyle

Franny Moyle has a degree in English and History of Art from St John`s College, Cambridge. She has played a key role in the BBC`s arts programming, most recently as Commissioner of Arts and Culture across the BBC`s four main channels. A year ago she left to pursue her own projects and is now a freelance executive producer, handling some of their major cultural series. She is a director of the Hackney Empire, near her home in East London, and is married with three children.

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