Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 1854 – 30 November 1900) was

an Irish writer, poet and playwright. He wrote The Picture of Dorian Gray, and the
plays Salomé, The Importance of Being Earnest, An Ideal Husband, and Lady
Windermere's Fan.

He was married, and had two children.

Biography
Wilde was an outstanding classical scholar, at Trinity College, Dublin, then at
Magdalen College, Oxford University. In London, he worked as a journalist for four
years. Known for his biting wit, flamboyant clothes, and glittering conversation,
Wilde was one of the best known personalities of the day. It was his only novel, The
Picture of Dorian Gray, which brought him full recognition. Then he turned to
writing drama. He wrote Salomé in French in Paris in 1891, but it was refused a
licence. Despite this, Wilde produced four society comedies in the early 1890s, which
made him one of the most successful playwrights of late Victorian London.

At the height of his fame and success he wrote his masterpiece play - The Importance
of Being Earnest. It was first performed on 14 February 1895 at St. James's Theatre in
London.