International Project Unveils Centenary Legacy of The Well of Loneliness Through Oral Histories and Archival Research

International Project Unveils Centenary Legacy of The Well of Loneliness Through Oral Histories and Archival Research

(IN BRIEF) An international project will investigate the enduring legacy of Radclyffe Hall’s banned novel, The Well of Loneliness. As the centenary of its 1928 UK ban approaches, researchers funded with over £1 million from the AHRC will conduct interviews with 100 readers from varied communities, creating the first oral history of the novel’s reception. The study will examine the novel’s influence on debates around sexuality, gender, and censorship, and how it has shaped LGBTQ+ identities over time. Collaborating across institutions such as the Universities of York, Exeter, Loughborough, and Cardiff Metropolitan, along with The National Archives and the Harry Ransom Center, the project will also explore archival evidence of the legal censorship that once stifled its publication. Through a public website, a short film by filmmaker Campbell X, and various community events, 100 Years of The Well of Loneliness aims to engage and educate a broad audience while preserving important heritage insights.

(PRESS RELEASE) YORK, 13-Apr-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — An international research project is set to celebrate and investigate the enduring impact of the famously banned novel, The Well of Loneliness. Written by British author Radclyffe Hall and heralded by many as “the Lesbian Bible,” the novel was deemed obscene and banned in the UK soon after its publication in 1928. Now, on the eve of the centenary of that landmark ban, a dedicated team of experts specializing in late 19th- and early 20th-century cultural studies is launching a comprehensive investigation into the novel’s reception. Their goal is to assemble the first oral history of The Well of Loneliness by interviewing 100 readers from diverse communities and generations, capturing their unique interpretations and the novel’s influence across time and borders.

Dr Hannah Roche from the University of York’s Department of English and Related Literature explains that the novel has spurred debates for nearly a century over issues of sex, gender, and sexuality, as well as freedom of expression and censorship. “This project brings together academic researchers, heritage specialists, and creative practitioners to address historic erasure and marginalisation, while also building bridges across different communities,” she emphasizes.

Originally published by Jonathan Cape, The Well of Loneliness follows the life of Stephen Gordon, a ‘sexual invert’ who navigates love and loss during a time of profound societal scrutiny. Despite the fierce campaign against the book that resulted in its removal from UK shelves until 1949, its global reach was only bolstered by translations into numerous languages. Professor Jana Funke of the University of Exeter notes, “Radclyffe Hall’s work has resonated deeply within LGBTQ+ history, serving as a beacon of affirmation for generations, including trans and non-binary readers.”

Supported by funding exceeding £1 million from the AHRC, the project will also delve into how legal censorship and social hostility influenced the novel’s publication, translation, and reinterpretation. Researchers will explore its global impact, including its representation of domesticity, national identities—particularly Welsh and Irish—and its role in expressing LGBTQ+ cultures through facets like fashion and photography.

The project, titled 100 Years of The Well of Loneliness, will also engage the public through a dedicated website, a new short film directed by award-winning filmmaker Campbell X, and a series of public showcases, displays, workshops, and events. Archival materials curated by The National Archives will help highlight the state’s historical efforts to police gender and sexuality, offering rich insights into the fears and opportunities that the novel presented. Victoria Iglikowski-Broad from The National Archives observes, “The archival traces left by censorship allow us to interrogate how this seminal text was received and the societal anxieties it stirred.”

Spanning the next five years, this collaborative project involves the Universities of York, Exeter, Loughborough, and Cardiff Metropolitan, as well as The National Archives and the Harry Ransom Center in Austin, Texas. Its findings and insights into public engagement and heritage practices will be shared via a heritage toolkit co-produced with The National Archives and a knowledge exchange event aimed at heritage, archive, and museum specialists.

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SOURCE: University of York