Worlds Elsewhere by Andrew Dickson

Cultural history combines with literary travelogue to show Shakespeare in an utterly original, international light

Anti-apartheid activist, Bollywood screenwriter, Nazi pin-up, hero of the Wild West: this is Shakespeare as you have never seen him before.

‘Extraordinarily exhilarating … like no other Shakespeare criticism you have ever read’ (Margaret Drabble) ~ ‘A tour de force by any standards’ (David Crystal) ~ ‘Revelatory’ (James Shapiro) ~ ‘Brilliantly original’ (Michael Pye)

From the sixteenth-century Baltic to the American Revolution, from colonial India to the skyscrapers of modern-day Shanghai, Shakespeare’s plays appear at the most fascinating of times and in the most unexpected of places. But what is it about William Shakespeare – a man who never once set foot outside England – that has made him at home in so many places around the globe?

Travelling across four continents, six countries and 400 years, Worlds Elsewhere is an attempt to understand how Shakespeare has become the international phenomenon he is – and why.

Andrew Dickson

Reviews

“ Hugely enjoyable ... inspiring ... the book is a joy, full to bursting with surprising incidents, stories and insight ”

Dominic Gromgoole, Sunday Times

“ There were very few pages on which I didn’t learn something new or revelatory. A must-read for anyone interested in Shakespeare’s impact on people and politics around the globe ”

James Shapiro, author of 1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare

“ Much more than just a hugely entertaining travelogue. In its original, idiosyncratic way, Dickson’s action-packed global quest amounts to a substantial new contribution to Shakespeare scholarship ”

Anthony Holden, Observer

“ An extraordinarily exhilarating book. It is like no other Shakespeare criticism you have ever read … his cross-cultural insights into Shakespeare are remarkable … illustrated by and interwoven with many human stories ”

Margaret Drabble, New Statesman

“ Eye-opening and engrossing ”

Mail on Sunday

“ Immensely well-informed and highly readable. A revelatory journey of cultural exploration ”

Professor Stanley Wells, General Editor of the Oxford and Penguin Shakespeares

“ Brilliantly original. Absolutely engaging, witty and irresistible. What’s most remarkable: he’s said something new about Shakespeare ”

Michael Pye, author of The Edge of the World

“ A truly original book about Shakespeare: one that explores the dramatist's global reach with tenacity, devotion and an exhilarating spirit of adventure ”

Michael Billington

“ Dickson makes an engaging, idiosyncratic guide as he investigates the details of Shakespeare's global reach. ”

Peter Carty, International Business Times

“ Entertaining and informative ”

Guardian

“ A young critic who matches energy and erudition with truly Elizabethan zest ”

Independent

“ A terrific and lively account ”

Irish Independent

“ A tour de force by any standards, a fascinating blend of travelogue and Shakespearean research that reads like a detective story ”

David Crystal, author of The Stories of English

“ A tour de force by any standards, a fascinating blend of travelogue and Shakespearean research that reads like a detective story ”