CALIFORNIA prisoners can read werewolf erotica in their cells following a two-year court case about a novel penned by a Brighton-based writer.

Now Mathilde Gregory is telling her story as part of the Brighton Comedy Fringe, from the genesis of The Silver Crown – the second in her werewolf erotica trilogy published by Black Lace – to the judgement which was reported across the world.

Among the surprises covered in the show is the amount of romantic fiction available in the US prison system.

“A lot of the books are donated by wives, girlfriends and mothers of prisoners, so you get a lot of romantic novels,” says Seven Dials-based Gregory, who wrote the trilogy in 2008 under the pseudonym Mathilde Madden.

“This guy Andres Martinez had read the first book [The Silver Collar] which ends on a cliffhanger and had enjoyed it, so he went on Amazon to order the second one. When it arrived though the prison officer who unwrapped the prisoners’ parcels said it was contraband.”

Books can be banned in the California prison system if they incite violence, or are obscene.

The court case brought by Martinez - who is serving a 20-year sentence at Pelican Bay State Prison for multiple crimes including attempted murder – had to decide whether the book had literary merit to justify the amount of sexiness within its pages. According to Black Lace rules the book had to feature a sex scene in every chapter.

It was only after the case had been found in favour of Gregory’s book that she heard about it at the same time she was trying to write her first Edinburgh show.

The report from Justice James Richman almost wrote the piece itself, from the assertion that the book is “Perhaps less than Shakespeare” onwards.

“The original version of the show had a lot more stand-up comedy in it, but I realised the true story was far more interesting,” she says.

“I have to tell the audience to please remember these things really happened! They compare it to Dostoyevsky and Homer, these widely held literary novels, saying that it is no more violent than Crime And Punishment.

“I was very proud and pleased – it was nice to have that level of feedback on something I wrote. I do think the werewolf books are well-written and have some good characters. I don’t think it’s a literary novel - and it would be strange if I did.”

Gregory wrote the werewolf trilogy after her third erotic novel Equal Opportunities won a trophy at the Scarlet Magazine Erotic Fiction Awards 2006 for best female domination scene, and she was named Writer Of The Year at the 2007 Erotic Awards.

“Black Lace wanted to get another book out quickly,” says Gregory. “But I didn’t really have another book in me.

“They were starting this paranormal imprint and so suggested I write a three book series about vampires. I said I would do werewolves – I thought it would be sexier.”

The three books clock in at 70,000 words each – and were all penned within a year.

Although she hasn’t penned any more erotic fiction, she has championed the genre – including running the blog Erotica Cover Watch which tried to get more gender equality on the book covers.

“For a time it seemed every book cover had a picture of a naked woman, or a woman in her underwear,” she says. “I think 50 Shades Of Grey has changed that – they were based on the front covers of the Twilight novels. Now even WH Smiths has an erotic novels section.”

Now she is writing sitcoms for BBC Radio, having won a 2011 writing competition, and is planning her next erotica-free Edinburgh show.

When she did the Edinburgh Fringe some fans came with their copies of the werewolf trilogy for her to sign – but she admits since the court case there hasn’t been an upsurge in sales.

“It’s not turned into a 50 Shades Of Grey success,” she admits. “I never put the show together thinking of it as a book marketing exercise – a lot of people ask why I don’t sell the books at the show, but I don’t know how I would do it! People can find them on Amazon.”

She still hasn’t contacted Martinez either –putting the decision out to the audience whether she should.

“He hasn’t tried to get in touch with me,” she says. “It’s quite terrifying to be the author of a book that someone has fought so hard to read. I’ve not heard whether or not the court case was worth it.”

Brighton Comedy Fringe
Werewolf Erotica, She Wrote
Otherplace, Bar Broadway, Steine Street, Brighton, Wednesday, October 22

Starts 9pm, tickets £8.50/£7 
Call 07800 983290