The Marlowe Papers

by Ros Barber

Overview

"The novel—which purports that Marlowe is the true author of William Shakespeare's legendary oeuvre—is a gripping, lyrical, most unlikely page-turner." ―American Way
Winner of the Desmond Elliott PrizeLonglisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction
You're the author of the greatest plays of all time. But nobody knows. And if it gets out, you're dead.
On May 30, 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 a conviction of heresy; that he was spirited across the English Channel to live on in lonely exile; that he continued to write plays and poetry, hiding behind the name of a colorless man from Stratford—one William Shakespeare.
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. A cobbler's son who counted nobles among his friends, a spy in the Queen's service, a fickle lover and a declared religious skeptic, Christopher Marlowe always courted trouble. In this memoir, love letter, confession, and settling of accounts, Ros Barber brings Christopher Marlowe and his era to vivid life in The Marlowe Papers.
"A remarkable book. It is also a brave one . . . Barber conjures up some beautifully realized scenes." ―The New York Times Book Review
"Lush, inspired and provocative, this spellbinding dossier conjures up a bewitching Marlowe." ―Kirkus Reviews
"Terrifically accomplished and enjoyable . . . restores one's faith in English fiction." ―Fay Weldon

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250026538
Publisher:	St. Martin's Press
Publication date:	06/04/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	465
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

ROS BARBER was born in Washington, DC and raised in England. She is the author of three poetry collections and her poetry has appeared in Poetry Review, London Magazine, The Guardian among many other publications. Ros has a PhD in Marlowe studies and has taught writing at The University of Sussex for more than a decade. In 2011, she was awarded the prestigious Hoffman Prize for The Marlowe Papers. She lives in Brighton, England.

Read an Excerpt

Marlowe Papers, The

THE MARLOWE PAPERS

DEATH S A GREAT DISGUISER

Church-dead. And not a headstone in my name. No brassy plaque, no monument, no tomb, no whittled initials on a makeshift cross, no pile of stones upon a mountain top. The plague is the excuse; the age's curse that swells to life as spring gives way to summer, to sun, unconscious kisser of a warmth that wakens canker as it wakens bloom.

 

Now fear infects the wind, and every breath that neighbour breathes on neighbour in the street brings death so close you smell it on the stairs. Rats multiply, as God would have them do. And fear infects like mould; like fungus, spreads -folk catch it from the chopped-off ears and thumbs, the burning heretics and eyeless heads that slow-revolve the poles on London Bridge.

 

The child of casual violence grows inured, an audience too used to real blood; they've watched a preacher butchered, still awake, and handed his beating heart like it was love. And now the sanctioned butchery of State breeds sadists who delight to man the rack, reduce men from divine belief and brain to begging, and the rubble of their spines.

 

From all this, I am dead. Reduced to ink that magicks up my spirit from the page: a voice who knows what mortals cannot think of; a ghost, whose words ring deeper from the grave.

 

Corpse-dead. A gory stab-hole for an eye; and that's what they must think. No, must believe, those thug-head pursers bent on gagging speech, if I'm to slip their noose and stay alive. Now I'm as dead as any to the world, the foulest rain of blackened corpses on the body that is entered in my name: the plague pit where Kit Marlowe now belongs. For who could afford for that infected earth to be dug up to check identities? And so, I leave my former name behind. Gone on the Deptford tide, the whole world blind.

 

Friend, I'm no one. If I write to you, in fading light that distances the threat, it's as a breeze that strokes the Channel's waves, the spray that blesses some small vessel's deck.

THE MARLOWE PAPERS. Copyright © 2012 by Ros Barber. All rights reserved. . For information, address St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

Editorial Reviews

“A remarkable book. It is also a brave one…Barber conjures up some beautifully realized scenes.” —New York Times Book Review

“With the screw-tightening verve of a great thriller and the romantic pull of Renaissance poetry, the novel -- which purports that Marlowe is the true author of William Shakespeare's legendary oeuvre -- is a gripping, lyrical, most unlikely page-turner.” —American Way

“Lush, inspired and provocative, this spellbinding dossier conjures up a bewitching Marlowe.” —Kirkus

“Marlowe meets fascinating characters, sneaky spies and counterfeiters, gifted poets and playwrights, self-serving noblemen and vicious gutter-snipes. Barber's vivid portrayal of filthy, stinking London, the horror of the plague, the rampant and bloody religious intolerance, and the squalid daily life of 16th-century Europe are accurate and convincing.” —Publishers Weekly

“A must-read for anyone interested in Marlowe, William Shakespeare or 16th-century English history . . . The writing is superb, the plot moves quickly and Marlowe's story is compelling. An award-winning, highly original novel in verse about the life of Christopher Marlowe--even after the world believed him dead.” —Shelf Awareness

“Terrifically accomplished and enjoyable . . . restores one's faith in English fiction.” —Fay Weldon

“Searing poetry meets compelling narrative in a historical tour de force that had me ripping through the pages. My only complaint is that everything else I read for a while now will, I fear, suffer by comparison.” —Robyn Young, author of The Fall of the Templars and Brethren

“For me personally, this is the most complete Marlowe I've ever encountered.” —Will Self, author of Umbrella

“A story of ambition, infamy, beer, cunning, facepaint, red herrings, knives, and pen and paper, [The Marlowe Papers] is not only an homage to Marlowe but a celebration of poetry - and of its power to allow the dead to speak.” —Blake Morrison, author of And When Did You Last See Your Father?

“The best book I've read for a long time. Truly innovative, truly original, and a powerful poetic journey to another truth. Ros Barber has told a great story, in a fascinating way, so fascinating that she had someone like me gripped to the very end. This really is a joy to read and a true work of art.” —Benjamin Zephaniah, author of Gangsta Boy and Face

“The Marlowe Papers is a bravura performance: a noir thriller in doublet and hose. The life of Kit Marlowe, the baddest boy of English Literature, is great fare for any writer. There's espionage and sex; murder and treachery; and, this being England, a healthy dose of cross-dressing. And Barber serves it, steaming hot.” —Simon Worrall, author of The Poet and The Murderer

“Combines historical erudition with a sharply satisfying read. Marlowe's passion infects the page; Barber's skill draws the fever.” —The Independent (UK)

“The Marlowe Papers is the best read, so far, this year.” —The Sunday Express

From the Publisher