David Schalkwyk

Professor David Schalkwyk is a leading scholar in Shakespeare Studies and Literary Theory, currently serving as Director of the Centre for Global Shakespeares at Queen Mary University of London. He holds a DPhil from the University of York and has held significant academic roles, including Head of Department at the University of Cape Town and Director of Research at the Folger Shakespeare Library. His research focuses on Global Shakespeare, linguistic philosophy (Wittgenstein, Derrida), performance studies, and South African prison literature.

Key works include Shakespeare, Love and Language (2018), Hamlet’s Dreams: The Robben Island Shakespeare (2013), and co-edited volumes like The Oxford Handbook of Shakespearean Tragedy (2016). His scholarship bridges literary analysis with philosophical inquiry, exploring themes like love, language, and power in Shakespeare’s works.

Recent research investigates jealousy in Shakespeare and the intersection of Shakespeare’s sonnets with linguistic theory. He actively engages in performance projects with Anərkē Shakespeare and the Venice Shakespeare Company, emphasizing multicultural casting and directorless theatre.