Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year

Perfect for reading, sharing and treasuring. * S Magazine - Sunday Express *
Experience tells me that the best book presents are sentimental or serendipitous. Having a poem to read every day sweetened the passing of time, and with its hoard of immortal wisdom, the collection was a handrail to hold onto whenever I felt wobbly. * The Telegraph - Perfect Books *
A lucky dip for all ages and a handsome Christmas diversion. -- Kate Kellaway * The Observer - The New Review *
This month I’ll be reading Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year. -- Alice B-B * Country & Town House *
Abandon Tweet of the Day for this excellently narrated daily dose celebrating the Bard. Beginning with the prologue to Romeo and Juliet (“Two noble households, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona . . .”) and ending with Prospero declaring, “Now my charms are all overthrown,” it will inspire you to revisit Shakespeare’s writing * The Times - Best audio books of 2019 *

Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year (Macmillan) is a more questionable idea (do we want
Shakespeare in soundbites?) but it is persuasively pulled off in this daily dose of soliloquies, sonnets and snippets from plays. The book is nicely edited by Allie Esiri (like its predecessors A Poem for Every Night of the Year and A Poem for Every Day of the Year) and what distinguishes it are its fascinating, scholarly prefaces (Professor Michael Dobson should take a bow). A lucky dip for all ages and a handsome Christmas diversion.

* Observer - Best books of the year round-up *
Like McGough and Ayres, William Shakespeare understood the wisdom of clowns as well as the power of tears. This would make a perfect gift for anybody who has ever liked a single speech by Shakespeare. Esiri’s choices set 365 extracts in context and she provides a synopsis of every play. Wonderful. * Daily Mail *