The Marlowe Papers

<p><b>*WINNER OF THE DESMOND ELLIOTT PRIZE*</b><br><br><b>'Sharp, concise, stunningly visual' </b><i><b>Sunday Times</b></i><br><br>On 30th May, 1593, a celebrated young playwright was killed in a tavern brawl in London. That, at least, was the official version. Now Christopher Marlowe reveals the truth: that his 'death' was an elaborate ruse to avoid being convicted of heresy; that he was spirited across the Channel to live on in lonely exile; that he continued to write plays and poetry, hiding behind the name of a colourless man from Stratford - one William Shakespeare. <br><br>With the grip of a thriller and the emotional force of a sonnet, this remarkable novel in verse gives voice to a man who was brilliant, passionate and mercurial. Memoir, love letter, confession, settling of accounts and a cry for recognition as the creator of some of the most sublime works in the English language, <i>The Marlowe Papers </i>brings Christopher Marlowe and his era to vivid life. <br><br><b>'The best book I've read for a long time. Truly innovative, truly original, and a powerful poetic journey to another truth' Benjamin Zephaniah</b><br><b><br>'Rich and charmingly playful' <i>Sunday Telegraph</i></b></p>