Under another name

Young playwright Melina Green has just written a new play inspired by the life of her Elizabethan ancestor, Emilia Bassano. But will she ever see it staged? In a theatrical world where women don't get the same start as men, it's unlikely. So, Melina's friend decides to submit the play to a festival under a male pseudonym. In 1581, Emilia Bassano is a protégée of English nobles. Although she is very witty and has a talent for storytelling, like most women of her time, she has no voice of her own. When forced to become the mistress of an influential lord, Emilia sees for the first time what the words of playwrights can do. She decides to secretly get her play onto the stage – by paying an actor named William Shakespeare to put it on under his name. Through two intertwining timelines – and with the help of authentic historical sources – the author develops a compelling story of ambition, courage, and determination; a story of two women separated by centuries but united by the desire to defy prejudice and create freely.