Elizabeth Winkler

Apr 19, 2024 | theguardian.com | Elizabeth Winkler

Scholars often say that no one doubted Shakespeare’s authorship until the 19th century. The response is a rote way of brushing off persistent questions about the attribution of the world’s most famous plays and poems – but it may not be true. New scholarship suggests that doubts about Shakespeare’s authorship first arose during his lifetime – in a book called Palladis Tamia, Wits Treasury, published in 1598 by the theologian Francis Meres.

Mar 17, 2024 | gaithersburgbookfestival.org | Elizabeth Winkler

An “extraordinarily brilliant” and “pleasurably naughty” (André Aciman) investigation into the Shakespeare authorship question, exploring how doubting that William Shakespeare wrote his plays became an act of blasphemy…and who the Bard might really be. The theory that Shakespeare may not have written the works that bear his name is the most horrible, unspeakable subject in the history of English literature.

Jan 12, 2024 | wsj.com | Elizabeth Winkler

At Buckingham Palace in 1842, the German composer Felix Mendelssohn found himself confessing to piracy. Queen Victoria, a great admirer of his music, announced her intention to sing her favorite of his songs, “Italien,” about a young girl’s dream of visiting Italy. Though the title page bears his name, it was written by his sister, Fanny Mendelssohn. “I was forced to confess that Fanny had written the song, which I found very hard, but pride must have a fall,” Felix wrote home to Berlin.

Nov 15, 2023 | newstatesman.com | Elizabeth Winkler

Shakespeare’s face is everywhere. This is to be expected. It is the 400th anniversary of the publication of the First Folio, the collection of plays published in 1623, and the UK has been celebrating as though it were the second coming of Shakespeare himself. Libraries, universities and museums have busted out their First Folios, displaying the famous title-page portrait of a balding Shakespeare sporting the vaguely offensive peach fuzz of an unwashed teenager. Visitors are invited to pay homage.

Oct 21, 2023 | quadrant.org.au | Elizabeth Winkler

As an historian, I have a long-standing interest in “historical mysteries”, but in reviewing this book, it is necessary to say that I am not a “conspiracy theorist”, and am not gullible.