War Horse author says his Tales from Shakespeare was only ever going to include 10 plays, and he has chosen the ones most likely to appeal to young readers
Michael Morpurgo has denied a Sunday Times report that he “refused” to include The Merchant of Venice in a forthcoming Shakespeare anthology for children due to antisemitism.
The newspaper described the former children’s laureate’s “21st-century sensibilities” as having prevented the inclusion of the play in Tales from Shakespeare, his retelling of 10 Shakespeare plays for children aged six and older. The Merchant of Venice famously features the Jewish moneylender Shylock, who demands a pound of flesh from the merchant Antonio if a loan is not repaid by his deadline.
