Book Preview: The Shakespeare Notebooks by Justin Richards

Newly discovered entries and drawings in William Shakespeare’s journals reveal for the first time the astounding relationship between the great Bard and the Doctor.

“To reverse or not to reverse the polarity of the neutron flow”

Many people know about William Shakespeare’s famous encounter with the Doctor at the Globe Theatre in 1599. But what few people know (though many have suspected) is that it was not the first time they met. Drawn from recently-discovered archives, The Shakespeare Notebooks is the holy grail of Bard scholars: conclusive proof that the Doctor not only appeared throughout Shakespeare’s life, but had a significant impact on his writing.

In these pages you’ll find early drafts of scenes and notes for characters that never appeared in the plays; discarded lines of dialogue and sonnets; never-before-seen journal entries; and much more. From the original notes for Hamlet (with a very different appearance by the ghost) and revealing early versions of the faeries of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, to strange stage directions revised to remove references to a mysterious blue box, The Shakespeare Notebooks is an astonishing document that offers a unique insight into the mind of one of history’s most respected and admired figures. And also, of course, William Shakespeare.

Since his first adventure in 1963, the Doctor has enjoyed many encounters with William Shakespeare with many more being referenced. Now, BBC Books has “rediscovered” notebooks, long thought lost, compiled by the Bard in which he divulges the influential role the Doctor played in his creative life. Charting the history between Britain’s most famous playwright and Britain’s most famous Time Lord, The Shakespeare Notebooks promises to be a funny, interesting and entertaining read from the ever reliable Justin Richards.

The Shakespeare Notebooks will be released by BBC Books on June 12 and is available to preorder now from Amazon via the link below.