Edel Semple is Lecturer in Shakespeare Studies at University College Cork, Ireland. Ronan Hatfull is Lecturer and Senior Associate Tutor in Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of Warwick, UK.
In a post-Barthesian/Foucauldian world, the Author remains a figure of desire for many critics, writers, actors and other artists. The Shakespeares – including Anne, Hamnet and Susanna as well as William – are multifaceted fictional characters in their own right, embodying complex ideas about family, identity, art, business and more. Shakespearean Biofiction on the Contemporary Stage and Screen is an indispensable guide to the rich world of Shakespeare-adjacent fictions, bringing together academics and artists to explain – and trouble – the irresistible appeal of Shakespeare’s gappy biography and the diverse ways in which Shakespeare and his contemporaries are deployed to speak to today’s concerns. * Peter Kirwan, Mary Baldwin University, USA * This volume is a window to the creative, critical and cross-media possibilities of biofiction. It places scholarly work in productive conversation with insights from practitioners to illuminate Shakespeare's cultural afterlife. Meanwhile, attention to Shakespeare's social and professional circles broadens the reach of this important contribution to Shakespeare and adaptation studies, and allow it to enter a larger, timely discussion of the myth of the singular (male) creative genius. * Anna Blackwell, University of Nottingham, UK *