Shakespeare & Cervantes fan day
Type: Talk
Date: Monday 23 April 2012
Time: 11.00 AM to 3.00 PM
Venue: Friends & Shakespeare Rooms, State Library of NSW, Macquarie St, Sydney
Cost: Free, No Registrations Required

When the celebrated poet and playwright William Shakespeare and iconic Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes died 496 years ago on 23 April 1616, they left behind an unparalleled literary legacy. Shakespeare, the most influential figure in English literature and the most published playwright in history. Cervantes, the most influential figure in Spanish literature and the writer of the first modern novel.

The Library is hosting a special fan day to celebrate these literary giants in the exquisite Friends Room, home to the largest known collection of Cervantes material in Australia, including over 1000 editions of his famous novel, The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote de la Mancha.

In this one-day event, chat to our experts and view rare editions of Cervantes, including a Spanish edition illustrated by Salvador Dali, as well as Shakespeare’s First, Second, Third and Fourth Folios. Plus, find out how Shakespeare’s first plays were nearly lost forever.