Any written works created while the author is in jail are known as prison literature. This applies to both fiction and nonfiction. A considerable number of works, by very well known writers, were created in this fashion.
Among those who have written in jail are Adolf Hitler (who wrote the famous Mein Kampf behind bars), Jeffrey Archer (he wrote a three-volume memoir of his jail time), John Bunyan (author of The Pilgrim's Progress), Marquis De Sade (who wrote extensively during an 11 year imprisonment), and Oscar Wilde (who wrote the philosophical De Profundis while imprisoned).
When Hitler's coup (known as the Bier Hall Putsch) failed, he was arrested, finally being sentenced to prison in 1924. During his jail term he wrote his famous book Mein Kampf ("My Struggle" in English). By the time the Second World War finished, 10 million of his books had been sold or otherwise distributed within Germany. Mein Kampf is notorious to this day for its anti-Semitic texts.
John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress was first published in 1678, and is considered to be among the most significant works of the English language. Allegorical in style, the book's main characters have names like "Christian", "Evangelist", "Obstinate", "Pliable", "Mr. Worldly Wiseman", and so on. Bunyan himself had been imprisoned many times, and to this day scholars debate over which of his jail terms saw him start the writing of The Pilgrim's Progress.
In modern times, one successful and well known author to write in jail is Jeffrey Archer. He was a politician, and was imprisoned for perjury and perverting the course of justice. Whilst jailed, he produced 3 works on his life in prison - Belmarsh: Hell, Wayland: Purgatory, and North Sea Camp: Heaven. Archer also has an impressive resume as a fiction writer, and some of the characters in his subsequent novels were based on people he met in prison. His time in jail certainly never hampered his literary success, as he has sold well over a hundred million books.
A sleazy character in France in the 1800s, Marquis de Sade's outrageous and provocative writing style actually led to his arrest. Napoleon Bonaparte (who contributed to the prison writing genre later in life with a book of autobiography during his incarceration on St. Helena Island) insisted on Sade's arrest for writing the books Justine and Juliette. During his prison sentence of over a decade, Sade was nonetheless able to produce 11 novels, 16 novellas, 20 theatrical pieces, 2 collections of essays, and a journal.
Oscar Wilde was also no stranger to sexual controversy in his time. In 19th Century England it was illegal to engage in gay sexual acts, and this led to Oscar Wilde's imprisonment. Whilst in jail, Wilde composed a fifty-thousand word letter to his partner Lord Alfred Douglas. He was never allowed to send this letter but after he died it was edited to create the work "De Profundis". A complete and unedited version of the letter has since been released.
As can be seen, the long, unoccupied hours of jail time are at least partially responsible for some truly memorable works throughout history. For the reading public, infamous characters, dramatic injustices and the dark thrills of life "inside", only add to the allure of prison literature.
Among those who have written in jail are Adolf Hitler (who wrote the famous Mein Kampf behind bars), Jeffrey Archer (he wrote a three-volume memoir of his jail time), John Bunyan (author of The Pilgrim's Progress), Marquis De Sade (who wrote extensively during an 11 year imprisonment), and Oscar Wilde (who wrote the philosophical De Profundis while imprisoned).
When Hitler's coup (known as the Bier Hall Putsch) failed, he was arrested, finally being sentenced to prison in 1924. During his jail term he wrote his famous book Mein Kampf ("My Struggle" in English). By the time the Second World War finished, 10 million of his books had been sold or otherwise distributed within Germany. Mein Kampf is notorious to this day for its anti-Semitic texts.
John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress was first published in 1678, and is considered to be among the most significant works of the English language. Allegorical in style, the book's main characters have names like "Christian", "Evangelist", "Obstinate", "Pliable", "Mr. Worldly Wiseman", and so on. Bunyan himself had been imprisoned many times, and to this day scholars debate over which of his jail terms saw him start the writing of The Pilgrim's Progress.
In modern times, one successful and well known author to write in jail is Jeffrey Archer. He was a politician, and was imprisoned for perjury and perverting the course of justice. Whilst jailed, he produced 3 works on his life in prison - Belmarsh: Hell, Wayland: Purgatory, and North Sea Camp: Heaven. Archer also has an impressive resume as a fiction writer, and some of the characters in his subsequent novels were based on people he met in prison. His time in jail certainly never hampered his literary success, as he has sold well over a hundred million books.
A sleazy character in France in the 1800s, Marquis de Sade's outrageous and provocative writing style actually led to his arrest. Napoleon Bonaparte (who contributed to the prison writing genre later in life with a book of autobiography during his incarceration on St. Helena Island) insisted on Sade's arrest for writing the books Justine and Juliette. During his prison sentence of over a decade, Sade was nonetheless able to produce 11 novels, 16 novellas, 20 theatrical pieces, 2 collections of essays, and a journal.
Oscar Wilde was also no stranger to sexual controversy in his time. In 19th Century England it was illegal to engage in gay sexual acts, and this led to Oscar Wilde's imprisonment. Whilst in jail, Wilde composed a fifty-thousand word letter to his partner Lord Alfred Douglas. He was never allowed to send this letter but after he died it was edited to create the work "De Profundis". A complete and unedited version of the letter has since been released.
As can be seen, the long, unoccupied hours of jail time are at least partially responsible for some truly memorable works throughout history. For the reading public, infamous characters, dramatic injustices and the dark thrills of life "inside", only add to the allure of prison literature.
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