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Children’s Shakespeare Folio released to mark 400th anniversary of first sale
A limited edition, abridged version of Shakespeare’s First Folio for children has been announced to celebrate the first recorded sale of the book that brought Shakespeare’s plays together 400 years ago.
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and Walker Books will publish 400 copies of Shakespeare’s First Folio: All The Plays: A Children’s Edition in April 2024.
The collection, illustrated by Emily Sutton, includes all 36 plays in the First Folio, abridged so that Shakespeare’s words can be "easily read and performed by new generations". The books also include a specially commissioned poem by Michael Rosen.
Each book in the edition is individually numbered and presented in a designed box, featuring Sutton’s artwork inspired by 17th-century embroidery. The same design is reproduced in gold foil on the front cover. This design, like many of the illustrations throughout the book, is inspired by items from the trust’s collection of Shakespeare-related objects.
Folio fans will also receive a signed print of the portrait of Shakespeare from the book by Sutton.
Rachael North, director of museum and public programmes for the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, said: “Mr William Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies was entered in the Stationers’ Register on 8th November 1623. A month later, on 5th December 1623, Sir Edward Dering made the first recorded purchase of the book we know today as the First Folio.
"We could not think of a better way to mark this anniversary than announcing our limited edition of the Children’s Folio. From the sumptuous illustrations to the skilful abridging of Shakespeare’s works to ensure that they are as accessible as possible, while still retaining his wonderful language, this is a collection that people will treasure for generations.”
Denise Johnstone-Burt, publishing director at Walker Books, added: “This flagship project brings the works of our most important writer to a younger generation, in an accessible form. The Limited Edition is a fantastic opportunity not only to celebrate one of the greatest books ever published but also to own something rare and special."
Alongside the announcement of the limited edition, the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust is also delivering a project to distribute 10,000 copies of the trade edition of the Children’s Folio to schools and libraries across the UK.
