New Sonnet Written FOR Shakespeare

A new sonnet to commemorate Shakespeare’s 448th birthday and the launch of the World Shakespeare Festival was commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), the producer of the festival, and was made public earlier this week.

The World Shakespeare Festival is the biggest event of its kind ever staged, according to its organizers, and is an unprecedented collaboration with leading arts organizations from around the world, involving more than 70 partners coming together to celebrate Shakespeare, with more than 70 productions, as well as events, exhibitions and broadcasts.

The festival opened on Monday and is scheduled to run to November, with performances in London and other United Kingdom locations.

The RSC commissioned the sonnet from Mark Ravenhill, a playwright and its writer in residence.

“Shakespeare reminds us what it is to be human,” Michael Boyd, artistic director for RSC said in a statement. “Let’s celebrate his influence on all our lives and join Mark Ravenhill in celebrating his birthday and this incredible Festival.”

The sonnet was written to be a public. “So if anyone wants to download the text to stick it on their fridge, or study it in their classroom, put themselves reciting it on You Tube or use it as a song lyric, I'd be delighted,” Ravenhill said in a statement.

“Like Shakespeare's own sonnets, this has no title. Just a number. Maybe Ravenhill Sonnet 1” he said.