Shakespeare's First Folio: A pioneering publication

This year marks the 400^th anniversary of Shakespeare’s First Folio, the first complete works of Shakespeare published in 1623, seven years after his death. Both the theatrical and the literary world are celebrating this event throughout the year, with exhibitions, performances and new publications scheduled.

In 2001 I was a student at the Shakespeare Institute in Stratford-upon-Avon, reading for my MA in Shakespeare Studies. I was also working part-time for the Royal Shakespeare Company alongside a colleague, Prue, whose grandfather had acted in the very first season at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in 1879.

Prue was a constant inspiration and regaled me with tales of the theatre. After a visit to London, she returned with a postcard of the memorial that celebrates two men, John Heminges and Henry Condell, who were responsible for editing and bringing to life the First Folio. Why don’t we know more about the men who brought us one of the most important works of literature in the western world?