<p>William Sharp (1855-1905) conducted one of the most audacious literary deceptions of his or any time. Sharp was a Scottish poet, novelist, biographer and editor who in 1893 began to write critically and commercially successful books under the name Fiona Macleod. This was far more than just a pseudonym: he corresponded as Macleod, enlisting his sister to provide the handwriting and address, and for more than a decade 'Fiona Macleod' duped not only the general public but such literary luminaries as William Butler Yeats and, in America, E. C. Stedman.</p><p>Sharp wrote 'I feel another self within me now more than ever; it is as if I were possessed by a spirit who must speak out'. This three-volume collection brings together Sharp&rsquo;s own correspondence &ndash; a fascinating trove in its own right, by a Victorian man of letters who was on intimate terms with writers including Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Walter Pater, and George Meredith &ndash; and the Fiona Macleod letters, which bring to life Sharp&rsquo;s intriguing 'second self'.</p><p>With an introduction and detailed notes by William F. Halloran, this richly rewarding collection offers a wonderful insight into the literary landscape of the time, while also investigating a strange and underappreciated phenomenon of late-nineteenth-century English literature. It is essential for scholars of the period, and it is an illuminating read for anyone interested in authorship and identity.</p>