English writer Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s Gothic horror novel Frankenstein, considered to be one of the first works of science fiction, tells of a scientist who creates a sentient being in a morality-pushing experiment. Today, her handwritten draft is held at Bodleian Libraries at the University of Oxford.
WILDE, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST
A man as tormented as he was beloved, Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) overcame a life of extraordinary ups and downs to become a world-renowned playwright, author and poet. He used his experiences to form brilliant, if controversial, literary works, including The Importance of Being Earnest, a draft of which is reproduced here.
