The Marlowe Papers
AuthorRos Barber
CountryEngland
LanguageEnglish
GenreNovel
Publication date
2012
AwardsHoffman Prize (2011)
Desmond Elliott Prize (2013)

The Marlowe Papers is a novel by Ros Barber published in 2012. It won the Hoffman Prize in 2011,[1] the Desmond Elliott Prize in 2013[2] and was joint-winner of the Authors' Club Best First Novel Award.[3]

The novel, written in blank verse,[4] is a story about the English 16th century poet Christopher Marlowe, contemporary of William Shakespeare. In this tale, Marlowe's murder in 1593 is a fake and he lives on to write the plays and poems ascribed to Shakespeare.[5]

The Desmond Elliott Prize judges called the book a "unique historical conspiracy story". According to Barber, she has encountered hostility because of the novel's Marlovian premise. She says, "It's a work of fiction. You can believe that Shakespeare of Stratford wrote the works and still enjoy it."[6]

The book was adapted as a play by Barber and Nicola Haydn, performed by Jamie Martin in 2016.[7]

References

  1. ^ "THE MARLOWE PAPERS by Ros Barber | Kirkus Reviews". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  2. ^ "Verse novel wins debut book award". BBC. 27 June 2013. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  3. ^ "Ros Barber". The Royal Literary Fund. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  4. ^ Nicholl, Charles (25 January 2013). "Exiting the Stage". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  5. ^ O’Riordan, Adam (24 May 2012). "The Marlowe Papers by Ros Barber: review". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  6. ^ Masters, Tim (28 June 2013). "Author faced 'hostility' over book". BBC. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  7. ^ Hall, Duncan (29 January 2016). "The Marlowe Papers, Otherplace At The Basement, Kensington Street, Brighton, until Saturday, January 29, call 01273 987516". The Argus (Brighton). Retrieved 30 September 2021.
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