A fascinating, witty and characteristically exuberant dramatic exploration of the Shakespeare authorship debate.Is it possible that the son of an illiterate tradesman, from a small market town in Warwickshire, could have written the greatest dramatic works the world has ever seen? It's a question that has puzzled scholars, theatre practitioners and theatregoers for many years. The philosopher, Francis Bacon; the Earl of Oxford, Edward de Vere; and Mary Sidney, Countess of Pembroke:...

"A quirky charmer of a play [that] contains, beneath its homely surfaces, larger meanings that glide softly into your mind and heart."— The New York Times (Critics' Pick)On a frozen Minnesota lake, the ice is beginning to creak and groan. It's the end of the fishing season and on the frostbitten, unforgiving landscape, two friends are out on the ice, angling for something big, something down there that, had it the wherewithal, could swallow them whole.

On a frozen Minnesota lake, the ice is beginning to creak and groan. It's the end of the fishing season, and two old friends are out on the ice, angling for something big; something down there that is pure need.Something that might just swallow them whole.In Nice Fish, celebrated actor Mark Rylance draws on his own teenage years in the American Midwest, in a unique collaboration with critically acclaimed Minnesotan contemporary prose poet Louis Jenkins and the whol...

Why does Shakespeare write in the way he does? And how can actors and directors get the most out of his incomparable plays?In Speaking the Speech, Giles Block – 'Master of the Words' at Shakespeare's Globe – sets out to answer these two simple questions. The result is the most authoritative, most comprehensive book yet written on speaking Shakespeare's words.Throughout the book, the author subjects Shakespeare's language to rigorous examination, illuminating his ex...

London is the theatre capital of the world. From world-famous musicals to West End shows, from cutting-edge plays to Shakespeare in its original staging, from outdoor performance to intimate fringe theatre, the range and quality is unsurpassed.Leading theatre critic Michael Coveney invites you on a tour of the forty-five theatres which make the London stage what it is, with stories of the architecture, the people and the productions which have defined each one. Sumptuous photograph...

The bestselling 30-Second series takes a revolutionary approach to learning about those subjects you feel you should really understand. Each title selects a popular topic and dissects it into the 50 most significant ideas at its heart. Every idea, no matter how complex, is explained in 300 words and one image, all digestible in just 30 seconds. 30-Second Shakespeare uses this unique approach to grapple with the worlds most famous playwright. From what we know of his life and the intrigue o...

A profound, powerful and moving collection of 100 letters from around the world responding to the climate crisis, introduced by Emma Thompson and lovingly illustrated by CILIP award winner Jackie Morris.‘All power to this amazing project.’ JOANNE HARRIS‘Makes sense of the climate crisis in a whole new way’ MAGID MAGIDHow can we begin to talk about what is happening to the world? How can we explain to our children, an...

Joanne Baldwin is a Weather Warden. Usually, all it takes is a wave of her hand to tame the most violent weather. But now Joanne is trying to outrun another kind of storm: accusations of corruption and murder. So she's resorting to the very human tactic of running for her life.Her only hope is Lewis, the most powerful Warden. Unfortunately, he's also on the run but Joanne and her classic Mustang are racing hard to find him - because there's some bad weather closing in fast.

Bill Bryson’s bestselling and brilliantly witty biography of William Shakespeare takes the reader on an enthralling tour through Elizabethan England and the eccentricities of Shakespearean scholarship—updated with a new introduction by the author to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s deathWilliam Shakespeare, the most celebrated poet in the English language, left behind nearly a million words of text, but his biography has long been a thicket of wild supposition arr...

"ThisBeautiful Life is a gripping, potent and blisteringly well-written story offamily, dilemma, and consequence. . . . I read this book with white-knuckledurgency, and I finished it in tears. Helen Schulman is an absolutely brilliantnovelist." —Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, LoveTheevents of a single night shatter one family’s sense of security and identity inthis provocative and deeply affecting domestic drama from Helen Schulman, theacclaimed author of...

“I was hooked by the end of page one and laughing out loud by the middle of page two.” — Lark SusakA fun fantasy mystery starring Brenda — a reluctant medium — and Brian — a Vigilante Demon with an impish sense of humor.Brenda Steele has a problem. A Vigilante Demon wants her to use her powers to find murdered spirits and help him track down their killers. But Brian doesn't just catch criminals. He likes to play with them first, setting elaborate traps where the goal is to ...

Secret Codes - Lost Landmarks - Hidden Clues - Real LocationsBefore Jake’s grandfather died, he was on the trail of a centuries-old mystery. And he has entrusted that mystery to Jake, leaving behind a set of hidden codes, riddles, maps, and other clues that lead Jake and his friends on a scavenger hunt into the heart of Colorado’s wild and rugged Rocky Mountain National Park.Through twists and turns, the mystery unfolds while Jake, Amber, and Wes learn abou...