We begin the week here on My Poetic Side with a story of romance that the bard would surely have approved of. We also take a look at the violin with connections to Robert Burns that is going on tour.

Missing Shakespeare Book Sought

A bookstore in London Ontario has been home to an incomplete collection of books by William Shakespeare for a number of years and whilst they have had many enquiries by interested parties they have been unable to sell them.

That is until Omar Gutierrez, a student who had just completed a Masters in English literature was passing the shop. He knew straight away that they would be the perfect gift for his girlfriend who shared his love of the bard.

The books were placed in a box and he returned back home with them. As might be expected for books of that age, they are stained and yellow around the edges of the pages and the binding is very worn – one book is in fact held together with an elastic band, and there is one volume from the collection missing. Gutierrez has now made it his mission to locate the missing volume in order to complete the set, although he admits he rather likes the imperfection of the set as it is. He also confirmed that even if he did manage to locate the missing book he would not sell the set although it would be worth significantly more than he paid for it.

The first book will be a gift for his girlfriend on her graduation in April and he is planning to save the other volumes for special occasions in the future.

The books which were published in 1757 had been in the basement of the store for a number of years before the bookstore owner found them. It is believed that they were part of an estate sale.

Violin With Link To Poet Will Tour The US

A violin with connections to the poet Robert Burns is to begin a tour of the US this month as part of the celebrations that are taking place for the Scottish poets birth anniversary.

Dating from 1750 the violin was used as musical accompaniment in the Bachelor’s Club in Ayrshire town that was attended by the poet as a young man.

Burns took the lessons in part to rebel against his father who disapproved but also in an effort to improve his manners.

The violin will now be taking part in a tour that will see it starting out from its current home in the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Alloway before journeying all over the US. The tour will begin on Thursday this week and will make its first stop in New York City. Chicago will follow a collaboration with Rachel Barton Pine, a violinist of international reputation. On completion of the tour, the violin will return to its home in Scotland where it is housed by the Scottish National Trust along with 4000 other artefacts, who are delighted to so many people will get the opportunity to hear the violin that the poet once heard.