Product Description
"A transformative remix."
The Times
“Bold innovations."
The Observer
SYNOPSIS
What do you get if you deconstruct Shakespeare’s plays, then mash, blend and re-configure the elements back together to create a new story? That is exactly what Ben Arogundade has done in his compelling new eBook, 'The Shakespeare Mash-up'. Using only the Bard’s unaltered text from 'Romeo and Juliet' and 'Othello', he has re-sequenced passages from both plays, creating a dramatic and thought-provoking new narrative which puts Othello, Desdemona, Romeo and Juliet together for the first time, in a tragi-comic love story that feels like Shakespeare wrote it himself.
The handkerchief in ‘Othello’ remains central to the plot, as do many classic 'Othello' quotes. The new mash-up re-casts Othello and Romeo as gay lovers, caught between the attentions of Juliet and Desdemona. An explicit gay sex scene provides an insight into how Shakespeare may have written such a set piece, had the times allowed it. The end result is the most original work on Shakespeare to date, and essential reading for all fans and scholars of his work.
(Short form eBook - 6,000 words)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ben Arogundade is a London-based writer and creative director of illustrated books. He originally trained as an architect before diversifying into graphic design and print journalism. In 1996 he launched, designed and edited ‘Extract’, a cult style magazine about the lives of non-celebrities. In 2000 he wrote his first book, ‘Black Beauty’ — an exploration of society’s historical perceptions of the black image — which later became the subject of a three-part BBC documentary. Following this he worked as a voice-over artist before becoming creative director at Gloria Books, publishers of luxury collectables. In 2010 he launched his own publishing imprint, Arogundade Books.
The Times
“Bold innovations."
The Observer
SYNOPSIS
What do you get if you deconstruct Shakespeare’s plays, then mash, blend and re-configure the elements back together to create a new story? That is exactly what Ben Arogundade has done in his compelling new eBook, 'The Shakespeare Mash-up'. Using only the Bard’s unaltered text from 'Romeo and Juliet' and 'Othello', he has re-sequenced passages from both plays, creating a dramatic and thought-provoking new narrative which puts Othello, Desdemona, Romeo and Juliet together for the first time, in a tragi-comic love story that feels like Shakespeare wrote it himself.
The handkerchief in ‘Othello’ remains central to the plot, as do many classic 'Othello' quotes. The new mash-up re-casts Othello and Romeo as gay lovers, caught between the attentions of Juliet and Desdemona. An explicit gay sex scene provides an insight into how Shakespeare may have written such a set piece, had the times allowed it. The end result is the most original work on Shakespeare to date, and essential reading for all fans and scholars of his work.
(Short form eBook - 6,000 words)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ben Arogundade is a London-based writer and creative director of illustrated books. He originally trained as an architect before diversifying into graphic design and print journalism. In 1996 he launched, designed and edited ‘Extract’, a cult style magazine about the lives of non-celebrities. In 2000 he wrote his first book, ‘Black Beauty’ — an exploration of society’s historical perceptions of the black image — which later became the subject of a three-part BBC documentary. Following this he worked as a voice-over artist before becoming creative director at Gloria Books, publishers of luxury collectables. In 2010 he launched his own publishing imprint, Arogundade Books.
