An esteemed academic and author based in Dolgellau and Oxford will write the third in a series of novels about a time-travelling psychotherapist and his Shakespearian exploits.

Professor Michael Kerr Scott is a respected theatre critic, authority on Elizabethan drama and the founding Vice Chancellor of Wrexham University.

Previously Pro Vice-Chancellor at Leicester’s De Montfort University, he is now a Fellow and Senior Dean at Oxford’s Blackfriars Hall, and Director of the Future of the Humanities Project with Washington’s Georgetown University.

Professor Scott – who has written numerous texts on Shakespeare – turned his hand to fiction and received glowing praise for his first two offerings – Hamlet and the Psychotherapist, and The Scottish King: Macbeth and the Psychotherapist. They follow the exploits of 21st-century psychotherapist Jacob Fortune, who is not a huge fan of Shakespeare and is cynical about his very existence.

Through virtual reality, the author takes us back in time as Jacob attempts to change the narrative of Shakespeare’s most famous play Hamlet. The adventures unfold and there are lashings of history, culture, romance and comedy to unpack.

Professor Scott said: “After many years writing and editing academic books, it was a departure for me, exploring the world of fiction, but I love the freedom it gives me to make Shakespeare fun and accessible to a wider audience.

“Using my knowledge of the subject, and driven by the central character, it also acts as an introduction to several of Shakespeare’s other plays and brings a contemporary twist to his work.

“It’s light-hearted and there are surprises throughout, with some serious messages in there as well - I’m thrilled with how well it’s been received by readers.

“I had the idea some time ago, but it was during the pandemic, when everything stopped, that I managed to sit down and write Hamlet and the Psychotherapist.

“The Scottish King: Macbeth and the Psychotherapist came to me quite quickly but it’s the third and final instalment – I had always wanted to write a trilogy – that will probably cause the biggest stir.

“It is entitled Shakespeare, Sex and the Psychotherapist - given his colourful love life. There are many strands to that and as previously I’ll blend humour with historical events, with Jacob taking the lead role!

“Hopefully, people will like this one just as much, we shall wait and see.”

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