Emilia
Emilia by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, published by Bloomsbury Academic on August 24, 2023, is a thought-provoking exploration of the life of Emilia Bassano Lanier, a figure who may have been the Dark Lady of Shakespeare’s Sonnets. This edition, comprising 184 pages, delves into the limited opportunities faced by women in the Tudor and Elizabethan eras, highlighting Emilia’s role as a poet, educator, and radical feminist. Through this speculative history, Malcolm sheds light on the countless creative women whose stories have been overlooked or suppressed throughout history.
Readers will find a highly theatrical narrative that not only brings Emilia’s story to life but also serves as a broader commentary on women’s struggles for recognition and agency. The play is designed to resonate with contemporary audiences, culminating in a powerful address that encourages reflection and action. This edition includes commentary and notes by Elizabeth Schafer, providing additional context and insight into the historical and cultural significance of Emilia’s life and work. The book engages with themes of drama, history, and the contributions of women authors, making it a relevant addition to discussions surrounding gender and representation in literature.
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‘A spicy work of biographical conjecture … It’s also a rousing reminder of the countless creative women who have been written out of history or have had to fight relentlessly to make themselves heard.’ EVENING STANDARD
‘The great virtue of Lloyd Malcolm’s speculative history lies in its passion and anger: it ends with a blazing address to the audience that is virtually a call to arms. It is throughout, however, a highly theatrical piece … In rescuing Emilia from the shades, [the play] gives her dramatic life and polemical potency.’ GUARDIAN
The little we know of Emilia Bassano Lanier (1569 – 1645) is that she may have been the Dark Lady of Shakespeare’s Sonnets, mistress of Lord Chamberlain, one of the first English female poets to be published, a mother, teacher who founded a school for women, and radical feminist with North African ancestry.
Living at a time when women had such limited opportunities, Emilia Lanier is therefore a fascinating subject for this speculative history. In telling her story, Morgan Lloyd Malcolm represents the stories of women everywhere whose narratives have been written out of history.
Originally commissioned for Shakespeare’s Globe with an all-female cast, Emilia is published here as a Methuen Drama Student Edition with commentary and notes by Elizabeth Schafer, Professor of Drama at Royal Holloway, University of London, UK.
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