South African Essays on 'Universal' Shakespeare

South African Essays on a€?Universala€? Shakespeare collects new scholarship and extant (but previously unpublished) material, reflecting the changing nature of Shakespeare studies across various a€?generation gapsa€?. Each essay, in exploring the nuances of Shakespearean production and reception across time and space, is inflected by a South African connection. In some cases, this is simply because of the authora€?s nationality or institutional affiliation; in others, there is a direct engagement with what Shakespeare means, or has meant, in South Africa. By investigating the universality of Shakespeare from both implicitly and explicitly a€?southerna€? perspectives, the book presents new possibilities for considering (and reassessing) shifting manifestations of Shakespearea€?s work in major Shakespearean a€?centresa€? such as Britain and the United States, as well as across the global North and South.

Chris Thurman is Associate Professor in English at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. He edits the journal Shakespeare in Southern Africa.