Ceil Friedman

Ceil Friedman is co-author with her sister Lise Friedman of "Letters To Juliet: Celebrating Shakespeare's Greatest Heroine, the Magical City of Verona, and the Power of Love," the incredible story of the nearly century-old phenomenon of letter writing to Shakespeare's heroine and of the people who reply to these missives. An art historian and translator, Ceil left New York 21 years ago to be with her own Romeo in Verona, Italy, where she writes, translates books, and produces organic olive oil.

Ceil came across the letters to Juliet a few years ago while doing a translation for the City of Verona and shared them with her sister in New York. Their curiosity led them to the Club di Giulietta and the current secretaries and on an exciting hunt for information about those who preceded them, as far back as the 1930s. One discovery led to the next, as they talked to the heirs of the very first secretaries, uncovered anecdotes, and pieced together bits of untold history to create their unique book. Filled with images from past and present, this volume is a complete guide to the correspondence between Juliet and thousands of writers from every corner of the world.