Significant anniversaries

In the coming months there are three major literary anniversaries being celebrated.

Written on the Heart

Regular followers of this blog will know that 2011 marks the 400th birthday of the King James Bible. As a dramatic marker of this, acclaimed playwright David Edgar has written a new play for the RSC called Written on the Heart.

Previewing from 27th October at the Swan Theatre, it will prove a fascinating insight for any students wanting to understand the world in which Shakespeare and other Jacobean dramatists operated. Meanwhile, it is well worth checking out the KJBT website which has a variety of helpful resources.

200 years young

Claire Tomalin has recently brought out an acclaimed new biography of Charles Dickens. Born almost 200 years ago on 7th February 1812, he has shaped our whole perception of what a novel should be. Heavily influenced by the popular theatre of his day, he created memorable villains and cliff-hanger chapter endings to engage a whole new sector of the reading public.

As a tireless social campaigner, he also used literature to change people’s perception about issues such as industrial conditions, legal reform and the treatment of the poor, to name but a few. At the same time, his mature novels explored motivation and compulsion at a deeper level, through engaging yet flawed heroes, such as Pip in Great Expectations.

At Crossref-it.info you will find lots of information to back up your knowledge of the great man, regardless of which text you are studying, as well as our invaluable guide to Great Expectations itself.

100th birthday

Last month, on 19th September, was the 100th anniversary of the birth of William Golding. This British novelist, poet, playwright, who was a Nobel and Booker prize winner, was best known for his seminal novel, The Lord of the Flies. Check out Crossref-it.info to discover where this intriguing title comes from and the ideas that lie behind the premise of the novel.

Let us know

If you are aware of any literary festival or celebration coming up which you think we ought to know about, or you want others to hear about, please contact us here and we will pass the message on.