Surrealism is a cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to leader André Breton, to "resolve the previously contradictory conditions of dream and reality into an absolute reality, a super-reality", or surreality. It produced works of painting, writing, theatre, filmmaking, photography, and other media.
Guillaume Apollinaire was a French poet, playwright, short story writer, novelist, and art critic of Polish-Belarusian descent.
In Greek mythology, Omphale was queen of the kingdom of Lydia in Asia Minor. Diodorus Siculus provides the first appearance of the Omphale theme in literature, though Aeschylus was aware of the episode. The Greeks did not recognize her as a goddess: the undisputed etymological connection with omphalos, the world-navel, has never been made clear. In her best-known myth, she is the mistress of the hero Heracles during a year of required servitude, a scenario that, according to some, offered writers and artists opportunities to explore sexual roles and erotic themes.
The role of sadism and masochism in fiction has attracted serious scholarly attention. Anthony Storr has commented that the volume of sadomasochist pornography shows that sadomasochistic interest is widespread in Western society; John Kucich has noted the importance of masochism in late-19th-century British colonial fiction. This article presents appearances of sadomasochism in literature and works of fiction in the various media.
Erotic literature comprises fictional and factual stories and accounts of eros intended to arouse similar feelings in readers. This contrasts erotica, which focuses more specifically on sexual feelings. Other common elements are satire and social criticism. Much erotic literature features erotic art, illustrating the text.
Impact play is a human sexual practice in which one person is struck by another person for the gratification of either or both parties which may or may not be sexual in nature. It is considered a form of BDSM.
The Lustful Turk, or Lascivious Scenes from a Harem is a pre-Victorian British exploitation erotic epistolary novel first published anonymously in 1828 by John Benjamin Brookes and reprinted by William Dugdale. However, it was not widely known or circulated until the 1893 edition.
The Romance of Lust, or Early Experiences is a Victorian erotic novel written anonymously in four volumes during the years 1873–1876 and published by William Lazenby. Henry Spencer Ashbee discusses this novel in one of his bibliographies of erotic literature. In addition the compilers of British Museum General Catalogue of Printed Books list this book.
Elias Gaucher was a French printer and publisher of clandestine erotica who worked out of the Malakoff and Vanves communes in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France, about 3 miles from the centre of the City. He primarily reprinted or pirated the books of other publishers, but is best known today as the original publisher of Les Exploits d'une Jeune Don Juan (1905), Guillaume Apollinaire's translation of a German erotic work called Kindergeilheit. Geständnisse eines Knaben, and Apollinaire's masterpiece Les Onze mille verges.
Pierre Mac Orlan, sometimes written MacOrlan, was a French novelist and songwriter.
Linda Maria Baros is a French-language poet, translator and literary critic, one of the most powerful new voices on today's poetry scene . She lives in Paris, France.
Auguste Corteau is the pen name of the Greek author Petros Hadjopoulos.
Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade, was a French nobleman, revolutionary politician, philosopher and writer famous for his literary depictions of a largely imagined libertine sexuality. His works include novels, short stories, plays, dialogues, and political tracts. In his lifetime some of these were published under his own name while others, which Sade denied having written, appeared anonymously.
Venus in India, or Love adventures in Hindustan is a pornographic novel by the pseudonymous "Charles Devereaux" published by Auguste Brancart in Brussels in 1889. It purports to be the autobiography of a British Army officer serving on the North West Frontier of India, describing his erotic adventures with Lizzie Wilson and the three daughters of Colonel Selwyn. His wife Louie remains in England. He sometimes refers to Théophile Gautier's Mademoiselle de Maupin during the narrative which is set during the third Afghan War. It is divided into two volumes and the content of a third volume is occasionally referred to in the text but this was never published.
Jacqueline Marval was the pseudonym for Marie Josephine Vallet, who was a French painter, lithographer and sculptor.
Alexis Lykiard is a British writer of Greek heritage, who began his prolific career as novelist and poet in the 1960s. His poems about jazz have received particular acclaim, including from Maya Angelou, Hugo Williams, Roy Fisher, Kevin Bailey and others. Lykiard is also known as translator of Isidore Ducasse, Comte de Lautréamont, Alfred Jarry, Antonin Artaud and many notable French literary figures. In addition, Lykiard has written two highly praised intimate memoirs of Jean Rhys: Jean Rhys Revisited (2000) and Jean Rhys: Afterwords (2006).
Les Peintres Cubistes, Méditations Esthétiques, is a book written by Guillaume Apollinaire between 1905 and 1912, published in 1913. This was the third major text on Cubism; following Du "Cubisme" by Albert Gleizes and Jean Metzinger (1912); and André Salmon, Histoire anecdotique du cubisme (1912).
Nina Rootes is a translator of French and Italian literature. An award-winning translator, she has also published a novel, several short stories and an autobiographical book.
Luan Arif Starova was an Albanian writer who lived in North Macedonia. He published his works both in Albanian and in Macedonian.
The Enfer is a special department of the Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris. It is a special collection of books and manuscripts of an erotic or pornographic character which, because of their rarity and value, may be seen only with authorization. The Enfer was established 1836–1844 and is one of the most famous Private Case collections. In 2013, the Enfer contained about 2,600 volumes, dating from the 16th century to the present.
