Many people know about William Shakespeares famous encounter with the Doctor at the Globe Theatre in 1599. But what few people know (though many have suspected) is that it was not the first time they met.

Drawn from recently-discovered archives,The Shakespeare Notebooksis the holy grail of Bard scholars: conclusive proof that the Doctor not only appeared throughout Shakespeares life, but had a significant impact on his writing. In these pages youll find early drafts of scenes and notes for characters that never appeared in the plays; discarded lines of dialogue and sonnets; never-before-seen journal entries; and much more.

From the original notes forHamlet(with a very different appearance by the ghost) and revealing early versions of the faeries ofA Midsummer Nights Dream, to strange stage directions revised to remove references to a mysterious blue box,The Shakespeare Notebooksis an astonishing document that offers a unique insight into the mind of one of historys most respected and admired figures. And also, of course, William Shakespeare.

William Shakespeareis the worlds greatest ever playwright. Born in 1564, he split his time between Stratford-Upon-Avon and London where he worked as a playwright, poet and actor. In 1582 he married Anne Hathaway. Shakespeare died in 1616 at the age of 52, leaving three children Susanna, Hamnet, and Mary. The rest is silence.

The Doctoris from Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborus. He has been saving the universe for centuries, and is a noted Shakespeare expert and name-dropper. In addition to writing out the first draft of Hamlet (after Shakespeare strained his wrist writing sonnets), the Doctor also helped the great playwright banish the Carrionites to the Deep Darkness. The Doctor has a granddaughter (probably) and lives in his TARDIS.

James Gosshas written the booksDoctor Who: Dead of WinterandSummer Falls, as well as severalTorchwoodbooks and radio plays. His favourite play isPericles, oddly.

Jonathan Morrisis one of the most prolific authors ofDoctor Whonovels, audio plays and comic strips and a regular contributor toDoctor Who Magazine. He first read the complete works of Shakespeare as a precocious 15-year-old but 25 years later still struggles with iambic pentameter.

Julian Richardsis an English and Theatre Studies student at the University of Warwick. He is a Third Dan Karate Instructor, keen amateur writer and lifelong fan of both Shakespeare andDoctor Who, making this almost his ideal book (lacking only Karate).

Justin Richardshas written for stage and screen, audio, childrens novels, the science fiction seriesThe Never War, and all sorts of other things. In his spare time he acts as Creative Consultant to BBC Books for all theirDoctor Whotitles including this one. He has a degree in English and Theatre Studies, and once kidnapped someone by accident.

Matthew Sweetis a writer and broadcaster with a doctorate in Wilkie Collins. He presentsFree ThinkingandSound of Cinemaon BBC Radio 3 andThe Philosopher's Armson BBC Radio 4. His books and TV documentaries includeThe West End Front,Shepperton Babylon,The Rules of Film NoirandMe, You and Doctor Who.A million years ago he played Iachimo to Eve Best's Imogen, but Hollywood never called.