Howard Jacobson and Henry Goodman lead London Book & Screen Week 2016 Shakespeare special
London Book & Screen Week has revealed a blockbuster pair of final event additions to the 2016 programme, with a Shakespeare special led by Man Booker winning novelist Howard Jacobson and renowned theatre actor Henry Goodman, plus a one-off Cityread London event with novelist and playright Gillian Slovo, writer Hardeep Singh Koli, social anthropologist Dr Lex Henry and author Ben Judah.
Taking place 11 – 17 April, the festival is a seven-day, citywide celebration of books and the films, TV programmes and virtual worlds they inspire. Produced by The London Book Fair, the festival merges a vibrant tent pole series of specially curated events, with an open sourced strand of activities that anyone can submit to online at www.londonbookandscreenweek.co.uk
400 years on from Shakespeare’s death, Howard Jacobson and Henry Goodman will discuss one of his best loved plays, The Merchant of Venice. Taking place on Wednesday 13 April at the Covent Garden Hotel, the event offers a collision of artistic forms as Jacobson discusses his recent addition to Hogarth’s Tales from Shakespeare Series, Shylock is My Name, while Goodman offers perspective from his Olivier-award winning performance of Shylock. Run in partnership with Digital Theatre, the event will be available to view online afterwards on http://www.digitaltheatreplus.com.
Shakespeare Special tickets available here.
Meanwhile, a one-off Cityread London panel event at Foyles Charing Cross on Monday 11 April brings together this year’s selected writer, Gillian Slovo, and guest speakers, including Dr Lez Henry, Ben Judah, and Hardeep Singh Kohli, to discuss the role of literature in exploring unheard voices in contemporary society.
Cityread 2016 tickets available here.
These events join an already packed line-up featuring some of the city’s leading figures in the creative industries, including Downton creator Julian Fellowes; children’s laureate Chris Riddell; author, scriptwriter and director, Shamim Sarif; international bestselling novelist Marian Keyes; YA superstar Cassandra Clare; Nikesh Shukla; Ann M Martin; and many, many more.
“400 years on from the death of William Shakespeare we are delighted to round out this year’s London Book & Screen Week programme with an event in his honour. The week offers an opportunity for everyone to celebrate their favourite books, films, TV shows, games and entertainment platforms. With a thrilling programme in place and partners all over the city rallying to celebrate a fabulous array of writers and their work, old and new, in all its formats, we’re looking ahead to what’s sure to be a blockbuster week. Come and join in!”
The series is run in partnership with some of the capital’s highest-profile brands, including London & Partners, the Mayor’s official promotional company for London, which attracts businesses and visitors to the capital and operates VisitLondon.com, the official city guide for London. London & Partners works to attract leisure and business visitors to London, as well as new businesses and major events.
With publishing now worth an estimated £4.3bn to the UK economy, the festival draws the spotlight on the critical role books play in our creative industries and the breadth of inspiration they spark.
To find out more, and book event tickets, visit www.londonbookandscreenweek.co.uk.
