Nanjing Xinhua Bookstore and Yilin Press, the publishing house under the Phoenix Publishing and Media Inc, held a reading activity on May 29, for readers from home and abroad to share their passions for the literary works of William Shakespeare, the great British playwright who died 400 years ago this year.

Erin, a Shakespeare lover from the US, read her favorite soliloquy from Hamlet, whose performance received great acclaim from the audience.

It was the first time for such an activity to take place in Nanjing, which saw expats and locals alike sharing their joy in the works of the Bard.

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, translated by Zhu Shenghao (1911-44) and proofread by Shakespearean experts in the country, has always been a treasure of Yilin Press. In order to commemorate 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, the publishing house launched a new edition of eight volumes this year. The new collection, based on Zhu Shenghao’s translation and authorized by Zhu's posterities, included 39 play scripts and poetries and more than 100 etchings from the well-known British illustrators Sir John Gilbert (1817-97) and Ray Abel.

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare