Eating Shakespeare: exploring the Bardic culinary literature industry

Although William Shakespeare penned no known cookery books, dietaries or other works of culinary interest, a significant body of Shakespearean-themed popular food writing has been produced and is in circulation. Exploring these works in the context of the so-called ‘Shakespeare industry’, this article proposes that such an enquiry, when focused through the lens of creative writing studies sensibility (especially in terms of publication studies) and a food studies approach can provide information and analysis of value to both areas of scholarship. Texts produced in English since 1935 are considered, and brief literary/professional biographies are provided for a number of writers whose work has received little attention in these fields.