The anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death carried with it a particular resonance for KwaZulu-Natal ex-political prisoner, Surinarayan Kala Venkatrathnam. Venkatrathnam expressed how having access to a copy of the playwright’s works helped him through the dark days of his incarceration on Robben Island.

As part of a year-long commemoration by leading international cultural, creative and educational organisations to mark the 400 years since Shakespeare’s death in 1616, Venkatrathnam made a poignant return to Cape Town with this book almost 39 years later.