Shakespeare's "Big Books"

For the first time, British Columbians have an opportunity to view in one place all four Shakespeare Folios, hot off the 17th-century printing press.

As part of Victoria’s six-week Shakespeare Onstage-Offstage celebration, UVic Libraries and the Department of English are displaying all four folios at UVic’s downtown Legacy Art Gallery. Without the famous First Folio, there would be no Macbeth, The Tempest or Antony and Cleopatra. Shakespeare’s “Big Books” opens Sept. 21.

“The First Folio is one of the most iconic books ever printed,” says University Librarian Jonathan Bengtson. “We are delighted to bring this work together with the three other 17th-century editions.” Fewer than 240 copies of the First Folio have survived to present day. This copy and Folio Three are loaned from the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, University of Toronto, with Folios Two and Four on loan from the Legislative Library of BC.

UVic English professor Erin E. Kelly curated the exhibit, along with fellow professor Janelle Jenstad, who is also assistant coordinating editor of the hugely popular Internet Shakespeare Editions (ISE) which logs nearly 20 million hits a year. The UVic-based ISE brings together scholarship, performance artefacts and online public interest in the Bard’s world, and continues to inspire a love of Shakespeare’s oeuvre in a global audience.

Another UVic exhibit, Falstaff and Music, opens Sept. 16 on campus. Visit the links below for a full list of all presentations and special events taking place across the city in collaboration with Pacific Opera Victoria, the Belfry Theatre, the Greater Victoria Public Library and other partners through Oct. 25.

Visit uvic.ca/library/featured/events or internetshakespeare.uvic.ca/onstageoffstage.

Detailed info on exhibit (campus article)

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