English professor Katharine Maus called it “priceless.” Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen bought a pristine copy in 2001 for more than $6 million. The Shakespeare First Folio is one of the most valuable printed books in the world U.Va. “For many people in our community, this will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see one of the most influential collections of writings in literary history.” “We are honored to be selected as one of the institutions to share this extraordinary resource from the Folger Shakespeare Library’s collection,” U.Va.

and Puerto Rico in 2016, commemorating the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death. One of the most famous books in the world, the collection of plays will be on view at the University of Virginia – the only location in the commonwealth – as part of a 2016 national traveling exhibition, “First Folio! The Book that Gave Us Shakespeare.” The Folger Shakespeare Library Association, in partnership with Cincinnati Museum Center and the American Library Association, is taking the tour to all 50 states, Washington, D.C.

Among them are some of his best-known works: “Macbeth,” “Twelfth Night,” “Julius Caesar,” “As You Like It” and “The Tempest.” When William Shakespeare died in 1616, only about half of his plays had been printed in small, one-play editions called quartos.Īnother 18 plays are known today only because they were included in the “First Folio,” published by his friends seven years later without it, they would probably have been lost.

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