R. K. Aanstad

Writer · Illustrator · Historian

The world behind Shakespeare's words.

R. K. Aanstad writes the books that unlock the people, places, and ideas behind Shakespeare's plays — from the astrologers of Renaissance London to the real queen behind Lady Macbeth.

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Two new books · January 2027 · Pen & Sword Books

New & forthcoming

The Books

Cover of The Influences Behind Shakespeare's Plays

The Influences Behind Shakespeare's Plays

Unlocking the world behind the words.

William Shakespeare is often portrayed as a solitary genius, a fountain of creation sprung from nowhere. This book dismantles that myth, revealing the rich tapestry of ideas, traditions, and controversies that fueled his imagination. The Influences Behind Shakespeare's Plays is your essential guide to the intellectual and cultural world of the Bard.

Journey beyond the page to explore the vibrant ecosystem that shaped his work: the bustling world of Renaissance London, from the astrological charts and necromantic texts that informed his plots to the biting satire of the "Poets War" with his rivals; the larger world, from the edges of the Ottoman Empire to the shores of Bermuda, that provided the geopolitical foundations for his settings; the Commedia dell'arte stock characters that inspired his comedies; and the Plutarch lives of the ancients that were the bedrock for his tragedies. We meet key figures from the classical world of Homer, Ovid, and Seneca to the contemporary spark of Marlowe, Kyd, and the patronage of Henry Carey and James VI.

For students, actors, directors, and anyone who has ever wondered where Shakespeare's magic truly came from, this is an indispensable companion.

Pen & Sword Books · January 2027

Pre-order
Cover of Who's Who in Shakespeare's History Plays

Who's Who in Shakespeare's History Plays

From Achilles to Anne Boleyn — the real people behind the legends.

Who were the real people behind some of Shakespeare's most unforgettable characters? From the Gates of Troy to the Battle of Bosworth, Shakespeare's history plays are filled with a cast drawn from over three millennia of history. This book covers the full sweep of that world, including Troilus and Cressida, Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra, Macbeth, and the entire cycle of English history plays from King John through Henry VIII — organized chronologically and cross-referenced by play.

Readers will discover that the historical Lady Macbeth was a respected queen who made a pilgrimage to Rome; that the real Margaret of Anjou, vilified by English chroniclers, was a formidable political operative in the mold of her mother, Isabella, Duchess of Lorraine, who led armies and rescued Margaret's father from prison. The book also illuminates the figures who never appear on stage but whose lives underpin the drama: Edward III, whose five surviving sons laid the foundation for the Wars of the Roses; Jacquetta of Luxembourg, the Duchess of Bedford who scandalized the English Court by marrying a commoner; and Lady Margaret Beaufort, who helped the son she was not allowed to raise, Henry VII, take the throne.

Fully illustrated, with detailed genealogies, battle timelines, and comprehensive cross-referencing, this book will transform how you experience these timeless plays.

Pen & Sword Books · January 2027

Pre-order

Also by R. K. Aanstad

  • A Bawdy Twelfth Night or What You Will Encyclopedia & Dramaturgical Handbook Available now
  • A Midsummer Night's Dream Illustrated Handbook and Encyclopedia Available now

Coming 2028 · McFarland

A Global History of Silver

The metal that minted empires, moved markets, and remade the world.

The podcast

Shakespeare and Friends

R.K. co-hosts this podcast with renowned Shakespeare scholar Darren Freebury-Jones — conversations with the actors, authors, and historians who keep the Bard alive.

Watch & listen ↗

About

A Shakespeare nerd with a sketchbook.

Portrait of R. K. Aanstad with one of her dogs
R. K. Aanstad, photographed with one of the three silly little dogs who actually run the household.

R. K. Aanstad is a writer, illustrator, historian, and self-confessed Shakespeare nerd with an MFA in theatre. She is the author of Who's Who in Shakespeare's History Plays: From Achilles to Anne Boleyn, The Influences Behind Shakespeare's Plays, A Bawdy Twelfth Night or What You Will Encyclopedia & Dramaturgical Handbook, and A Midsummer Night's Dream Illustrated Handbook and Encyclopedia.

Based in the Pacific Northwest, she co-hosts the podcast Shakespeare and Friends with renowned Shakespeare scholar Darren Freebury-Jones, and has appeared on That Shakespeare Life and The History of European Theatre. Her work lives at the intersection of scholarship and stagecraft: books made for actors, directors, students, and anyone who loves a good story about where good stories come from.

She shares her home with two bossy cats, three silly little dogs, and a great many books.

MFA in Theatre Writer & illustrator Co-host, Shakespeare and Friends Pacific Northwest, USA

For journalists, hosts & publicists

Media Kit & Press

Everything you need to book, introduce, and credit R. K. Aanstad — bios, images, and interview topics in one place. For booking, email hello@rkaanstad.com; replies within two business days.

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Short bio — for host introductions

R. K. Aanstad is a writer, illustrator, and historian with an MFA in theatre, and the co-host of the podcast Shakespeare and Friends. Her books include The Influences Behind Shakespeare's Plays and Who's Who in Shakespeare's History Plays: From Achilles to Anne Boleyn, both published by Pen & Sword Books in January 2027. She lives in the Pacific Northwest.

Long bio — for programs & press releases

R. K. Aanstad is a writer, illustrator, historian, and Shakespeare nerd with an MFA in theatre. She is the author of Who's Who in Shakespeare's History Plays: From Achilles to Anne Boleyn and The Influences Behind Shakespeare's Plays (Pen & Sword Books, January 2027), as well as A Bawdy Twelfth Night or What You Will Encyclopedia & Dramaturgical Handbook and A Midsummer Night's Dream Illustrated Handbook and Encyclopedia. Her forthcoming A Global History of Silver will be published by McFarland in 2028. Aanstad co-hosts the podcast Shakespeare and Friends with renowned Shakespeare scholar Darren Freebury-Jones, and has appeared on That Shakespeare Life and The History of European Theatre. Her books are built for the people who make and love theatre — students, actors, directors, and history enthusiasts — combining rigorous research with accessible, fully illustrated guides. She is based in the Pacific Northwest, where she shares her home with two bossy cats, three silly little dogs, and lots of books.

Interview topics — The Influences

  • The myth of the solitary genius — and what actually fed Shakespeare's imagination
  • The "Poets War": Shakespeare's feud-era rivalries with Marlowe, Kyd, and Jonson
  • Astrology, necromancy, and the occult texts hiding inside the plays
  • How Commedia dell'arte's stock characters walked into Shakespeare's comedies
  • Plutarch, Ovid, Seneca: the classical bedrock of the tragedies
  • From the Ottoman Empire to Bermuda: the geopolitics behind the settings

Interview topics — Who's Who

  • The real Lady Macbeth: a respected queen who made a pilgrimage to Rome
  • Margaret of Anjou: history's villainess, recast as a formidable political operative
  • The women behind the Wars of the Roses: Jacquetta of Luxembourg and Lady Margaret Beaufort
  • Edward III's five sons: the family tree that set a century of war in motion
  • From Achilles to Anne Boleyn: three millennia of history on one stage

Suggested host intro: "My guest today is a writer, illustrator, and historian who co-hosts the podcast Shakespeare and Friends…"

Appearances & links

Contact

Get in touch

Questions about the books, interview requests, or a Shakespeare hot take you need to share? Write any time. For press and interviews, the media kit above has everything a host needs.

Email R.K.