The Sonnets

The Sonnets
Warwick Collins

Shakespeare in Love for the sonnets: a fictional tale of how Shakespeare wrote his most famous poems.No one knows for sure precisely when and where Shakespeare wrote his sonnets or, more intriguingly, who he wrote them for. In this wonderfully entertaining novel acclaimed author Warwick Collins imagines the circumstances that inspired 30 of the Bard's most popular sonnets.The young Will Shakespeare is living under the patronage of Henry Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton. The controversial earl is under pressure from his family and those close to the royal court to settle down but he is far too busy drinking, carousing and cavorting with his motley band of acquaintances to pay attention. Not then, the obvious setting for poetic genius but within the politics (both State and sexual) of this lofty household Will finds lots to inspire his pen, and a few attractive distractions too.Collins has crafted a clever, witty and enjoyable novel from fragments of history. He interweaves 30 sonnets into the text in seamless fashion. The Sonnets wears its scholarship lightly and its love of Shakespeare and poetry proudly.

The Sonnets

Warwick Collins

Copyright (#ulink_801ce81c-817d-5c42-b24b-436a646ded54)

The Friday Project

An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk (http://www.harpercollins.co.uk)

First published by The Friday Project in 2008

This edition published by The Friday Project in 2015

Copyright © Warwick Collins 2008

Warwick Collins asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Although this is a work of fiction and the product of the author’s imagination, it is based on/inspired by real historical events and, therefore, some of the characters portrayed herein are based on real people. However, any resemblance to any persons, living or dead, events or localities who are unconnected with the historical event is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

HarperCollinsPublishers has made every reasonable effort to ensure that any picture content and written content in this ebook has been included or removed in accordance with the contractual and technological constraints in operation at the time of publication.

Source ISBN: 9780007306190

Ebook Edition © MARCH 2015 ISBN 9780007379996

Version: 2015-03-31

Dedication (#ulink_91e2519d-086a-5baf-99cc-2259be2f32d9)

To Chris Owen

Contents

Cover (#u8a725a13-790e-5289-8af4-00a850b9fd02)

Title Page (#u63cda3cf-a9c2-5183-be1f-8902af5a167c)

Copyright (#u07d705d0-f135-54e5-9530-4d045a1fac1b)

Dedication (#u09d31b32-4396-597b-9104-ee103c399b94)

Chapter 1 (#u56e62479-5ecb-5ce5-8307-1d684fea7c6d)

Chapter 2 (#u111b8f44-4195-5af0-9f34-3ce2af8882ee)

Chapter 3 (#ubc7e2065-6bd6-5148-8cc9-cb853ef4f3e1)

Chapter 4 (#ub4ae7d22-45d4-59e9-959a-2a9da670d921)

Chapter 5 (#u51a04478-9773-5901-a84d-5e9833092b24)

Chapter 6 (#u4157318a-aebc-5cbc-9f28-5efcafa2dc1e)

Chapter 7 (#u42e613b0-ee7a-514c-971a-5c673056c8c4)

Chapter 8 (#ud377ce25-62a7-5559-8237-72da139f9699)

Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 10 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 11 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 12 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 13 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 14 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 15 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 16 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 17 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 18 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 19 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 20 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 21 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 22 (#litres_trial_promo)