Manuscripts of British literary masterpieces to visit China

Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet'[Photo provided by British Library Board]

To celebrate World Book Day on April 23, several manuscripts by British writers will be put on display in China for the first time next Friday.

The exhibition, "Shakespeare to Sherlock: Treasures of the British Library," will open in the National Museum of Classic Books.

The manuscript of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' written in pencil by British composer, pianist, conductor Benjamin Britten [Photo provided by British Library Board]

Li Honglin, deputy director of the National Library of China, said some rare manuscripts and the only existing copy of some well-known works will be included.

"For example, we'll have the early Quarto edition of Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', which is currently the most original version. There'll be the manuscript of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' written in pencil by British composer, pianist, conductor Britten. 'Jane Eyre" by British novelist Charlotte Bronte will be showcased as well."

The manuscript from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes series [Photo provided by British Library Board]

Other valuable exhibits include manuscripts of Lord Byron's Don Juan, Charles Dickens' Nicholas Nickleby, and The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes series.

Alongside these manuscripts, translations, adaptations and critical responses of the renowned works will also come for display, such as the translation works from Zhu Shenghao, one of the first few in China who translated the works of William Shakespeare's into Chinese language.

The exhibition will run till June 21.