Bibliography

This page is devoted to all matters to do with the texts of Shakespeare's plays and poems and will include recent research and documentary 'discoveries'.

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Posted 21.04.2016: Shakespeare: who put those thoughts in his head? - a major article by Jonathan Bate: http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/apr/20/shakespeare-thinking-philosophy-jonanthan-bate .

Posted 21.04.2016: Some of the Shakespeare’s Birthplace Trust’s most valuable books were donations, such as the so called ‘Wheler Folio’ (above) named after its donor: Miss Anne Wheler. See more at: http://findingshakespeare.co.uk/whelers-folio?utm_source=Finding+Shakespeare+RSS-Email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=b5d4c7dba8-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_term=0_bcfa6d3979-b5d4c7dba8-297835533#sthash.FOrEJ2dp.dpuf .

Below is a photograph of the Shakespeare Second Folio (1632) in the possession of the Charlecote Park estate.

The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington began with the purchase of a single copy of the Fourth Folio (1685): http://bloggingshakespeare.com/bangs-maggs-folger-fourth-folios?utm_source=Blogging+Shakespeare+RSS-Email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=a136a54ad6-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_term=0_9b7c91aee0-a136a54ad6-274586381 .

A rare and valuable Shakespeare First Folio ... has been discovered in a small French town. The book had lain undisturbed in a library in Saint-Omer, near Calais in northern France, for 200 years: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-30206476 ; http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2014/nov/25/shakespeare-first-folio-found-in-french-library .

Who Edited Shakespeare...? Saul Frampton (Guardian Review 13.07.2013) makes a case for claiming that John Florio (above) was the editor of the First Folio (1623). He is currently writing a book about Florio and Shakespeare: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/jul/12/who-edited-shakespeare-john-florio .Florio (1553–1625), known in Italian as Giovanni Florio, was a linguist and lexicographer, a royal language tutor at the Court of James I, and a possible friend and influence on Shakespeare. He was also the translator of Montaigne into English. He married Aline, the sister of poet Samuel Daniel in 1580.

Posted 30.04.2013: Lambeth Palace retrieves stolen collection of extraordinary rare books. Early edition of Shakespeare - Henry IV Part 2 - and historic accounts of expeditions among 1,400 'priceless' books discovered in attic. http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/apr/29/lambeth-palace-stolen-books-retrieved .

The Bodleian Library copy of the First Folio.

Among the Treasure of the Bodleian Exhibition (see entry for 26.09.2011 on the News & Events page) is the Bodleian's copy of Shakespeare's First Folio (pictured left). Details of the item can be viewed at: http://treasures.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/First-Folio-shakespeare .
The information is supplemented by a 5-minute video by Dr Emma Smith, Fellow in English, University of Oxford who recounts something of the fascinating history of this particular volume.

The Shakespeare First Folio (1623): Three copies of the First Folio are kept in Stratford-upon-Avon. The full bibliographical descriptions of all three copies are reproduced in separate files below. The descriptions are taken from Anthony James West, The Shakespeare First Folio: The History of the Book, Vol. II.

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