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The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 19.0514  Thursday, 28 August 2008

From:       Najma Finlay <najma.finlay@iconbooks.co.uk>
Date:       Thursday, 28 Aug 2008 10:11:14 +0100
Subject:    Book Announcement: Shakespeare on Toast

Shakespeare on Toast: Getting a Taste for the Bard
Ben Crystal
Publication Date: 8 September 2008

SHAKESPEARE ON TOAST is set to knock the stuffing from the staid old myth of 
Shakespeare, revealing the man and his plays for what they really are: modern, 
thrilling and uplifting drama. A recent poll of teenagers found Shakespeare to 
be the least favourite read of those consulted. And yet we owe to Shakespeare at 
least 1,700 words and a horde of well-known phrases that we all use today.

Ben Crystal brings the bright words and colourful characters of the world's 
greatest writer wonderfully to life, offering the key to understanding 
Shakespeare's plays and unlocking the so-called difficult bits. Deftly told by 
the Jamie Oliver of Shakespeare, SHAKESPEARE ON TOAST is a fun guidebook that 
takes us beyond a mere introduction and into exciting territory as a manual to 
finding Shakespeare's own voice ourselves. By explaining the universality and 
timelessness of Shakespeare's appeal, how to unravel the poetry and understand 
its impact on our language today, Ben shows how, if Shakespeare were alive 
today, he would be writing scripts for Eastenders and Coronation Street rather 
than for elite theatre-goers.

Told in five Acts, SHAKESPEARE ON TOAST reclaims Shakespeare's language, life 
and time and pulls him into the modern age with surprising ease - revealing both 
the man and his work to be as relevant and accessible now, as he was during his 
own time. SHAKESPEARE ON TOAST is a book for everyone, whether you're reading 
Shakespeare for the first time, occasionally find him troublesome, think you 
know him backwards, or never set foot near one of his plays but have always 
wanted to.

BEN CRYSTAL is an actor, most recently due to perform in Simon Stephens' One 
Minute at the Courtyard Theatre, Old Street, London. With his father, David 
Crystal, he co-authored the internationally acclaimed bestseller Shakespeare's 
Words (Penguin, 2002) and The Shakespeare Miscellany (Penguin, 2005). 
SHAKESPEARE ON TOAST will be launched at the Edinburgh International Book 
Festival on 15 August 2008.

To request a review copy or interview please contact Najma Finlay, Head of 
Publicity, Icon Books (najma.finlay@iconbooks.co.uk/ D/L 020 7700 9962)


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S H A K S P E R: The Global Shakespeare Discussion List
Hardy M. Cook, editor@shaksper.net
The S H A K S P E R Web Site <http://www.shaksper.net>

DISCLAIMER: Although SHAKSPER is a moderated discussion list, the opinions 
expressed on it are the sole property of the poster, and the editor assumes no 
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