350-year-old Shakespeare folios could fetch £4.5 million at auction

• Four original William Shakespeare folios, dating from 1623 to 1685, are set to be auctioned at Sotheby's London on May 23.
• The collection, expected to fetch between £3.5 and £4.5 million, is believed to have been owned by two of Shakespeare's close friends.
• The first folio is considered a cornerstone of English literature, preserving plays like Macbeth and Twelfth Night that might otherwise have been lost.
• The third folio is the rarest due to losses in the Great Fire of London.
• The folios were compiled by John Heminges and Henry Condell, fellow actors and shareholders in Shakespeare's acting company, the King's Men.

IN FULL

To buy or not to buy? 300-year-old Shakespeare books to be auctioned for up to £4.5m