'If our love is a sin then heaven must be full of such tender and selfless sinning as ours.'
The Well of Loneliness is among the most famous banned books in history. A pioneering work of
literature Radclyffe Hall's novel charts the development of a 'female sexual invert' Stephen
Gordon who from childhood feels an innate sense of masculinity and desire for women. After
relocating from Malvern to London and then to Paris Stephen encounters fellow queer characters
from all walks of life from the sapphic salon hostess Valérie Seymour to the 'miserable army'
of outcasts that frequents the 'merciless drug-dealing death-dealing' bars of Montmartre.
Although Stephen and her acquaintances allies and antagonists are of their time Hall's novel
has offered support and solidarity to generations of LGBTQ+ readers and it continues to shape
debates about gender and sexuality today. This edition highlights previously overlooked points
of influence inspiration and connections with other texts as well as situating the novel in
historical contexts. In addition the editors provide vital insights into Hall's engagement
with religion sexology literary history and popular culture.
