Shakespeare, Nicholas

(British, 1957– )

Shakespeare was named as one of Granta's Best Young British Novelists in 1993, and has won several literary prizes. His first novel, The Vision of Elena Silves (1989) is an evocative exploration of Peru's culture and complex political history. Centring on a semi-fictional guerrilla organization based on the Shining Path Movement, the story focuses on the search of escaped terrorist Gabriel Rondon Lung for his former lover, Elena Silves. Move on to The Dancer Upstairs (1995), effectively a sequel, which begins with the investigations of Dyer, a journalist, into captured guerrilla leader Ezequiel and develops into the story of Ezequiel's entangled relationship with his mistress. Bruce Chatwin (1999), Shakespeare's biography of the charismatic writer and traveller, is also highly recommended.

James Buchan, Graham Greene  SR