Reading Shakespeare When He Was New: The Earliest Printed Texts

What was it like to read a newly published play by Shakespeare? Dr Emma Smith, Fellow of Hertford College, Oxford, discusses Shakespeare in print during his lifetime. Was the playwright really as popular as we assume? What was his role in the development of drama as something to read as well as, or even instead of, to see. The talk will also examine the first collected edition of Shakespeare's plays, the First Folio of 1623, which is one of Guildhall Library's treasures on display in the ‘Shakespeare in print’ exhibition. Following the talk enjoy a complimentary glass of wine or soft drink and a late view of the exhibition.