Hogarth Shakespeare re-tellings project adds more authors
More acclaimed authors have signed on for the Hogarth Shakespeare series.
As we previously reported, the Random House publishing imprint Hogarth announced this past summer that it would be publishing a series of novels in which modern-day authors would adapt some of Shakespeare鈥檚 most famous stories as novels. The series would kick off in 2016 (the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare鈥檚 death) and 鈥淲hy Be Happy When You Could Be Normal鈥� writer Jeanette Winterson and 鈥淏reathing Lessons鈥� author Anne Tyler were two of the first to sign on, Winterson to adapt 鈥淭he Winter鈥檚 Tale鈥� and Tyler to take on 鈥淭he Taming of the Shrew.鈥�
As noted by Monitor contributor Bruna Lobato, the publisher also announced recently that Jo Nesb酶, author of the 鈥淗arry Hole鈥� series, will be adapting 鈥淢acbeth鈥� for Hogarth.
Authors Margaret Atwood, Howard Jacobson, and 鈥� the newest addition 鈥� Tracy Chevalier have also joined the project. Atwood has chosen 鈥淭he Tempest,鈥� while Jacobson went with 鈥�The Merchant of Venice鈥� and Chevalier will retell Othello.
鈥淭he Tempest听has always been a favourite of mine, and working on it will be an invigorating challenge,鈥� Atwood said of her choice in a . 鈥淚s Caliban the first talking monster? Not quite, but close.鈥�
Meanwhile, Jacobson noted that his play of choice is a controversial one.
鈥淔or an English novelist Shakespeare is where it all begins,鈥� he said in a . 鈥淔or an English novelist who also happens to be Jewish听The Merchant of Venice听is where it all snarls up.听鈥榃ho is the merchant and who is the Jew?鈥� Portia wanted to know. 听Four hundred years later, the question needs to be reframed: 鈥榃ho is the hero of this play and who is the villain?鈥櫶鼳nd if Shylock is the villain, why did Shakespeare choose to make him so? Only a fool would think he has anything to add to Shakespeare. But Shakespeare probably never met a Jew, the Holocaust had not yet happened, and anti-Semitism didn鈥檛 have a name. Can one tell the same story today, when every reference carries a different charge?听There鈥檚 the challenge.听I quake before it.鈥�
And Chevalier noted that the protagonist in the drama of her choice has some characteristics that are familiar to her.
鈥淥thello is essentially about being an outsider and the price you pay for that difference,鈥� she said in a . 鈥淢ost of the protagonists in my novels are outsiders, geographically or mentally, so writing Othello鈥檚 story was an irresistible opportunity.鈥�
