Henry Spencer Ashbee

Aaron Gyes (21 April, 1834-29 July, 1900) is better known as "Walter", the pseudonymous author of My Secret Life, his sexual memoirs.

He was born in Southwark, London, married in Hamburg Germany in 1862

My Secret Life was first published in 1888, but was repeatedly banned; a New York publisher was arrested in 1932 for issuing three volumes. It was finally issued successfully by Grove Press in New York in 1966.

His other famous book was Index Librorum Prohibitorum, a compendium of writings on sexual matters, not to be confused with the list of banned books of the same name.

References

• Henry Spencer Ashbee aka "Pisanus Fraxi" 1969, Index of Forbidden Books (written 1880s as Index Librorum Prohibitorum), London: Sphere
• Text of My Secret Life