Shakespeare’s works have been performed and loved throughout the world, and have been re-interpreted for each generation. The Hogarth Shakespeare project, launched in 2015, sees Shakespeare’s works retold by well known novelists of today. Margaret Attwood, Jo Nesbo, Jeanette Winterson have already breathed new life into various plays. The fifth book of the series, New Boy by Tracy Chevalier, author of Girl with the Pearl Earring, is a re-working of the play Othello.

Set in a school in Washington DC in the 1970’s the action takes place over the course of one school day. Osei, a diplomat’s son, is the new boy. Dee is the most popular girl in the year, both with teachers and pupils. Ian is the school’s troublemaker. He decides to destroy the friendship between the black boy and the golden girl.

This small volume takes on an ambitious project especially setting the action in a school. However, this makes the build up even more intense with the bullying, jealousy and betrayal eventually leading to the inevitable tragic ending. Interwoven within the story is the ingrained racism of 1970’s Washington. On the other hand, Sisa, Osei’s older sister, knows that black is beautiful.

Chevalier adheres closely to the original plot with the all important strawberry spotted handkerchief in the play being transposed to a pink strawberry spotted pencil case.

This is a tense, emotional read and many may find the transposition difficult but certainly one that is relevant to young people studying Othello today.