Jo Nesbo to rewrite Macbeth

It's a brave challenge for any author. But as part of the Hogarth Shakespeare project, famed Norwegian writer Jo Nesbo has been given the epic task of retelling the classic tragedy of Macbeth.

Nesbo, who gained fame through his Harry Hole crime series, believes that the dark themes don't "feel too far from home".

"Macbeth is a story that is close to my heart because it tackles topics I've been dealing with since I started writing," Nesbo said.

The Hogarth Shakespeare project launches in 2016 as a way of marking the 400th anniversary of the Bard's death. Nesbo's best-selling books include The Snowman, Headhunters and The Leopard.

Despite his success, he's very aware of the pressures that come with such a task:

"I will not attempt to do justice to William Shakespeare nor the story," he stated. "I will simply take what I find of use and write my own story. And, yes, I will have the nerve to call it Macbeth."

The other announced authors and the works they have been given are as follows:

Margaret Atwood - The Tempest

Howard Jacobson - The Merchant of Venice

Anne Tyler - The Taming of the Shrew

Jeanette Winterson - The Winter's Tale

[via BBC]

(Images: Rex Features)