Throwback Thursday: The Letters of George Bernard Shaw

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The Shaw Festival has established a tradition that ensures that the brilliance of George Bernard Shaw’s plays is never forgotten. However, many do not know that Shaw was also a prolific letter writer. Prior to becoming a husband and establishing himself as a leader in English theatre, Shaw had composed an estimated 30,000 to 50,000 letters. The majority were addressed to the women with whom he was engaged in romantic relationships, as well as to close friends. The subject matter of these letters is vast, including flirtatious messages, analyses of Ibsen, and confessions of Shaw’s love for the theatre and his determination to revolutionize theatre practices.

 

To explore the letters of George Bernard Shaw, read “Shaw’s Collected Letters” by Charles A. Carpenter from the 1966 edition of Modern Drama.

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