The first Shakespeare book club in Logan, and possibly in Queensland, is teaching locals how the great bard’s works prevail hundreds of years later.
Club founder Lyle Parker, who is a former criminal lawyer and English and drama teacher, said the influence of playwright and poet Willaim Shakespeare on our culture was extraordinary.
“He stands really like the big bang of literature, both in language and culture,” Mr Parker said.
“His works are really an ever-expanding literary universe.
“His influence on our culture is pervasive. Whether it’s on stage or whether it’s on film, on ballet or opera, no other writer has had such a pervasive influence.”
It is through studying his plays and sonnets – dramas, comedies, historical retellings and tales of romance – that Mr Parker believes we learn the extend of Shakespeare’s understanding of human behaviour.
“The important thing is what we can learn about human behaviour,” he said.
“That’s what I think English teachers did a bad job of all those years ago.
“I’m retired now, so I’ve got a bit of time to put into something like this.”
The club meets on the last Thursday of every month at the Logan North Library to read and discuss.
The next meeting is on 27 February.
“Come and have a coffee with us and meet new friends, as we enjoy again or for the first time Shakespeare’s wonderful plays and sonnets,” Mr Parker said.
