The author of a new book about William Shakespeare is claiming that the works of the famed playwright were actually written by a Black, Jewish woman.
The book, titled, “The Real Shakespeare: Emilia Bassano Willoughby” by Irene Coslet, argues that Shakespeare was actually Emilia Bassano, a Jewish, dark-skinned woman who was an English poet during the Elizabethan period.
The Amazon description for the book, which says it is set to be released March 30, questions if Shakespeare was indeed “a white man from Stratford.”
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“Debate still rages over the identity of the most beloved poet of all time and ‘father’ of the English-speaking world,” the description reads. “Generations of researchers have tried to dismantle the myth of the Stratford man. Now, in this intriguing and well-documented book, Irene Coslet conclusively demonstrates that Shakespeare was a not a man, but a woman: a dark-skinned lady, of Jewish origin, born into a family of Court musicians from Venice, and the mother of the English-speaking world. Her name was Emilia Bassano.”
According to the description, Coslet’s conclusions are based on “re-examination of often-overlooked historical documents, shrewd, chilling, and profound, this volume offers extensive evidence that Emilia was the author of the canon.”
The description also says the book is not just about debate over whom the writings of Shakespeare should be attributed to, but “about the condition of women at the time Shakespeare was writing. It explains that feminism already existed in Elizabethan and Jacobean England. It reveals not only that Shakespeare was a woman, but also that she defended women. It reintegrates Emilia in the context of the time, for example, by exploring the relationship between Emilia and Queen Elizabeth I.”
Shakespeare, who lived from 1564 to 1616, is perhaps the most famous writer in the English language. His poetry and plays continue to be taught and performed centuries after his death.
Given his fame and the depth of his work, his life has been the subject of extensive analysis, leading at times to conspiracy theories that he was a fraud or was a pen name for another person.
Historical records indicate Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway at the age of 18, and had three children with her, Susanna, Hamnet and Judith.
Fox News Digital reached out to Coslet’s publisher for comment.
