THE public is getting the opportunity to see a rare edition of Shakespeare’s plays at an exhibition in the region.
The 17th Century First Folio, published in 1623, is the centrepiece of a Durham University Treasures display.
This is the inaugural exhibition in the Wolfson Gallery following a £2.3m refurbishment, funded in part by a £500,000 donation from the Wolfson Foundation.
The First Folio, which has an estimated value of £1.5m, was stolen while on display in Palace Green Library, Durham City, in December 1998.
It was returned to the university last year following the conviction of Raymond Scott, of Wingate, County Durham, for handling stolen goods and removing stolen property from the UK.
Bill Bryson, Chancellor of Durham University and author of an acclaimed book about Shakespeare, is the exhibition’s guest curator.
“It is a tremendous thrill to have the Shakespeare First Folio back in Durham,” he said.
“The book is clearly one of the most important in the English language. I look forward to seeing this national treasure on public display once again, alongside the many other fabulous treasures of Durham University.”
The exhibition opens on Saturday.
The First Folio will be on display until March 6.
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