William Shakespeare is the world’s best-loved playwright. His work is performed all over the globe and his life still tantalises us with its mysteries. The man who created classics such as Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth lived in the most turbulent yet thrilling era of English history. Shakespeare witnessed the flowering of English Renaissance drama and the construction of iconic playhouses such as The Globe. He also lived through the type of political and religious tensions which could see traitors executed on another type of public stage – the hangman’s scaffold.

William Shakespeare in 100 Facts guides us through the lesser-known stories surrounding the ‘Sweet Swan of Avon’. Zoe Bramley invites us to re-examine what we know about Shakespeare, uncovering details from his lifetime and legacy and organising them into easy-to-read, bitesize facts. Be prepared to have myths busted and quirky facts revealed, from the name of his first patron’s cat to how they say ‘to be or not to be’ in Klingon.

• Published to coincide with the 400th anniversary of  the death of William Shakespeare
• Multiple events scheduled for April 2016 with tours around the UK and overseas 
• Shakespeare400 is a year-long event coordinated by the London Shakespeare Centre with extra performances, exhibitions and activities
• David Tennant will host a celebration of Shakespeare's works in a live BBC2 programme in April 2016
• Current success of film adaptation of Macbeth; three further adaptations from the BBC set for 2016 
• Part of our growing 100 Facts series 
• Pocket-sized, easy-to-read format
• Author Zoe Bramley is a City of London guide with her own Shakespeare Walks and guided tours. She has a social media presence as @shakespearewalk and writes for Shakespeare magazine