Patrick Stewart Reads All 156 of Shakespeare’s Sonnets in New Audiobook
Jean-Luc Picard is doing The Bard.
Sir Patrick Stewart is lending his iconic voice to an audiobook in which he reads William Shakespeare‘s sonnets — all 154 of them — and “shares reflections on his creative process that can guide listeners’ deeper appreciation of the poetry,” according to publisher Simon & Schuster Audio.
The “Patrick Stewart Performs the Complete Sonnets of William Shakespeare” audiobook goes on sale April 7 at a list price of $14.99 (and is currently available for preorder at Audible, Barnes & Noble, Google Play and other retailers).
“The works of William Shakespeare have been a vital part of my life since I was 12 years old,” Stewart said in a statement. “Performing all 154 of his sonnets has been one of the most rewarding creative endeavors of my career.”
The famed English actor continued, “Each sonnet is unique — the audience will of course know the more famous, more beautiful ones, but all are worthy of exploration. There is so much love, humor, heart and, to this day, mystery that can be found in Shakespeare’s poetry. I felt compelled to make these recordings deeply intimate and personal, so each listener can forge their own unique relationship with Shakespeare’s brilliance and perhaps come away with a richer sense of what it means to be human.”
Stewart, 85, is well-acquainted with Shakespeare: The actor spent over 40 years with the Royal Shakespeare Company, starting in 1966. During the COVID pandemic he recorded sonnets on video and shared them online — and he’s now revisiting that project with the forthcoming audiobook.
In the new audiobook, Stewart provides “spirited, meticulously crafted performances of each poem” and discusses each work ranging from “curious explorations of a particular word or turn of phrase to candid insights about feeling energized and uplifted by the material, connecting with Shakespeare in a more personal and intimate way,” per Simon & Schuster Audio.
Meanwhile, Stewart is a veteran of the audiobook circuit, having released audiobooks of his one-man stage adaptation of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” and his bestselling memoir “Making It So.”
Stewart’s screen credits include his portrayal of Capt. Jean-Luc Picard in the Star Trek franchise and Prof. Charles Xavier across seven X-Men films for 20th Century Fox and Marvel. In 2010, he received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II for his contributions to drama.
Sir Patrick Stewart is lending his iconic voice to an audiobook in which he reads William Shakespeare‘s sonnets — all 154 of them — and “shares reflections on his creative process that can guide listeners’ deeper appreciation of the poetry,” according to publisher Simon & Schuster Audio.
The “Patrick Stewart Performs the Complete Sonnets of William Shakespeare” audiobook goes on sale April 7 at a list price of $14.99 (and is currently available for preorder at Audible, Barnes & Noble, Google Play and other retailers).
“The works of William Shakespeare have been a vital part of my life since I was 12 years old,” Stewart said in a statement. “Performing all 154 of his sonnets has been one of the most rewarding creative endeavors of my career.”
The famed English actor continued, “Each sonnet is unique — the audience will of course know the more famous, more beautiful ones, but all are worthy of exploration. There is so much love, humor, heart and, to this day, mystery that can be found in Shakespeare’s poetry. I felt compelled to make these recordings deeply intimate and personal, so each listener can forge their own unique relationship with Shakespeare’s brilliance and perhaps come away with a richer sense of what it means to be human.”
Stewart, 85, is well-acquainted with Shakespeare: The actor spent over 40 years with the Royal Shakespeare Company, starting in 1966. During the COVID pandemic he recorded sonnets on video and shared them online — and he’s now revisiting that project with the forthcoming audiobook.
In the new audiobook, Stewart provides “spirited, meticulously crafted performances of each poem” and discusses each work ranging from “curious explorations of a particular word or turn of phrase to candid insights about feeling energized and uplifted by the material, connecting with Shakespeare in a more personal and intimate way,” per Simon & Schuster Audio.
Meanwhile, Stewart is a veteran of the audiobook circuit, having released audiobooks of his one-man stage adaptation of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” and his bestselling memoir “Making It So.”
Stewart’s screen credits include his portrayal of Capt. Jean-Luc Picard in the Star Trek franchise and Prof. Charles Xavier across seven X-Men films for 20th Century Fox and Marvel. In 2010, he received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II for his contributions to drama.