SHAKESPEARE IN SWAHILILAND is published today in the UK by William Collins. In this adventurous blend of literature, history and memoir Cambridge scholar Edward Wilson-Lee traces a journey in search of the explorers, labourers, freedom fighters and tyrants who loved and fought over Shakespeare in East Africa over the centuries. Edward’s Shakespearean expertise and personal experience of the region make this a vivid and memorable read.
2016 is a year of #Shakespeare400 celebrations, marking four centuries since the death of the great English poet and playwright. SHAKESPEARE IN SWAHILILAND has already attracted a great deal of pre-publication attention and been listed as one of the top books on Shakespeare to read this year. The Bookseller called it a 'striking literary debut' in its preview of the best forthcoming books for #Shakespeare400, The Times included it in their list of all things ‘Bardtastic’ to look out for, and The Financial Times also highlighted it as a book to read in 2016. In the US, where Farrar, Straus & Giroux will publish in September 2016, The Wall Street Journal featured it in their article on ‘The Coming Shakespeare Extravaganza’.
As Matthew Reisz writes in Times Higher Education: 'There will be many books published to mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death. Few will be bolder than SHAKESPEARE IN SWAHILILAND.’
In a series of clips Edward considers questions like “What would the world be like without Shakespeare?” and why Antony & Cleopatra is (currently) his favourite Shakespeare play.
International student publication The Day ran this piece by Edward on Shakespeare’s global impact he was interviewed for the World Service: Focus on Africa programme. He has already appeared at the Bath Literary Festival and London readers can book tickets for his forthcoming event at Stanford Travel Bookshop on 15 March. Many other festival appearances are scheduled, including:
29 April: Stratford upon Avon Literary Festival
13 July: Dartington Ways with Words
7 November: Bridport Literary Festival
See more on Edward’s website.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Edward Wilson-Lee is a Fellow in English at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, where he teaches medieval and Renaissance literature and Shakespeare. After growing up in Kenya and Switzerland, he went to university in London, New York, Oxford and Cambridge, living briefly in Mexico and New Orleans in between. He is now working on a second book for William Collins.
Follow Edward on Twitter.