This is the monthly news roundup. We thought it was going to be a slow news month. Boy, were we wrong!
SAT Spring Members Only Event
The Shakespearean Authorship Trust, that’s us, had our members-only online event on April 20. We looked back at how much has changed in the authorship question since 2014 and 450th celebrations of Shakespeare’s birth. And much has changed! Penny McCarthy, author of Pseudonymous Shakespeare: Rioting Language in the Sidney Circle, spoke on some dating issues with the works, and Dr. Ros Barber detailed the shift in perceptions on the validity of the SAQ in the last ten years. Elizabeth Winkler joined us to discuss the ongoing controversy over her book Shakespeare Was a Woman and Other Heresies: How Doubting the Bard Became the Biggest Taboo in Literature. (More on this below.) Attendees were treated to readings by Sir Derek Jacobi, Richard Clifford, and Annabel Leventon.
The London Library Hosts Event that kicks off a storm
We thought it was going to be a slow news month, but then the London Library announced an event with Elizabeth Winkler and Sir Derek Jacobi to be chaired by Guardian critic Stephanie Merritt on June 6. This was quickly followed by extensive coverage of trolling of the event.
Articles in The Telegraph, The Times, The Independent, The Daily Mail, and many more were centred on Oliver Kamm’s accusations of the Library’s “promotion of a baseless and anti-intellectual conspiracy theory.” Many led, at first, with headlines suggesting that the book claims Shakespeare was a woman, even though it does not. There was summary coverage in the same vein by The Week. The event is described as “how the forces of nationalism and empire, religion and myth-making, gender and class have shaped our admiration for Shakespeare across the centuries.” Another way to say this is that the book is about the history of the Question and does not advocate for a specific candidate. But in the age of short attention spans, short messaging character limits, and scrolling, those expressing ire and outrage didn’t read the full title of the book. We are confident this event will make our June News Roundup as well!
New Research Published in The Guardian
Winkler continues writing about the ‘Q’ in the mainstream press, publishing an article in The Guardian about new research by Roger Stritmatter. Strittmater may be familiar to those interested in the authorship debate. His latest research, a deep dive into the works of Francis Meres, has been published in the peer-reviewed academic journal Critical Survey. Contrary to Oliver Kamm (see above), the editor of Critical Survey, Graham Holderness, supports academic freedom and inquiry. We invite Dr. Holderness to join us anytime!
Yes, it was someone’s birthday, maybe, possibly, we think?
April 23 is one of those dates. It was, or it wasn’t, the birth date of William Shakespeare from Stratford-upon-Avon who may not have been born there. Lacking hard evidence, tradition has pounced on April 23, conveniently St. George’s Day, and canonized it as the man’s birth date—and death date. The New York Times Travel section has published a lengthy article about the myths and frauds since Elizabethan times that have developed into a multi-milliion dollar tourist industry in what would otherwise be an ordinary West Midlands town. (Although some readers may consider this post to be by Elizabeth Winkler’s personal PR firm, that’s not the case. She’s been particularly active this month.)
“Today, it is one of Britain’s most popular tourist destinations, drawing up to three million visitors a year. The Birthplace is its main attraction, followed by the cottage reputed to be the place where Anne Hathaway, Shakespeare’s wife, grew up.”
Biopic and Biofic
Mark Keady asks why there hasn’t been a biopic of William Shakespeare from Stratford’s life. The community of Doubters can respond quickly with the point that there isn’t enough evidence to warrant a biopic. Keady works through the difference between a biopic and biofic–fiction. He also posits that it is nearly impossible to put a whole life on screen within a two-hour time frame and those wishing to do so should review Aristotle’s mandate to work in unities (which Shakespeare almost never followed). All this is a lengthy work-up to announcing Keady’s own attempt at bringing the Stratford man’s life to the stage, an example of what he has just cautioned against. We look forward to seeing how the paucity of evidence informs a full stage play AND abides by Aristotle.
London Marlowe Day
The Marlowe Society held an event on 13 April in London titled “Marlowe’s Authorship of Shakespeare?” After Henry 6, Pts 1, 2 and 3, “AQ Podcasts” and “New Contributions, What Next!” speakers included Ricky Dukes, founder and Artistic Director of the Lazarus Theatre Company; Professor Tony Briggs on Marlowe’s blank verse for King Gorboduc; David More on Jacobean diplomatic correspondence implying Marlowe did not die in Deptford; Alex Ayres on the Authorship Controversy; Dr. Christian Taylor and Joe Payne with highlights from “Much Ado about the AQ Podcasts”; Dr. Peter Hodges with his latest research; Elizabeth Winkler; and the SAT’s Director of Research, Dr. Ros Barber, who is also a patron of The Marlowe Society.
As in life, little is known about the man’s death
Biography.com has published an article detailing all the unknowns surrounding the death of the man from Stratford. The author, Tyler Picotti, lays out how little is known about the man and how that extends to how little is known about his death.
“Perhaps most frustrating for researchers is that Shakespeare’s son-in-law John Hall was a well-known physician who left extensive records about his patients. That includes Shakespeare’s eldest daughter, Susanna, who was Dr. Hall’s wife. However, he makes no mention of treating the great playwright.”
An articulate piece on how little we know about the man from Stratford.
Call for papers: Shakespeare Oxford Fellowship’s Conference
The Shakespeare Oxford Fellowship Conference will take place in Denver, Colorado September 26–29. The Conference Committee requests that proposals for papers to be read in Denver and/or proposals for special sessions during the Denver conference be submitted by May 1. There may be a second call for papers after that, but if all speaking slots are taken in the May 1 call, it may not be possible to add in new slots. For more information see here.
Bacon Society event
TOUR & LUNCH AT GRAY’S INN, LONDON Monday 15th April 2024
To celebrate the 138th birthday on 15th April, the Francis Bacon Society organised a special Members’ event at Gray’s Inn, one of the Inns of Court where Francis Bacon trained and spent much of his life. The Great Hall is the scene of many masques organised by Francis Bacon, as well as the first known performance of Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors. The Hall was bombed during World War II but was re-built and many original features remain.
Save the Date
In case you missed it, the SAT will hold our annual live event in London on 17 November 2024 from approximately 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. More details will follow as the program develops.
Till next time . . .
Together in Doubt