LETTER OF THE MONTH

Alternative education

Michael Wood cites Shakespeare's “lack of education” (July) as a reason some people give for doubting that he wrote his plays – but many people achieve great things through self-education, which often does not show up in their academic record. Shakespeare undoubtedly falls into this category, although he also began with a good grammar-school grounding.

Other examples include John Clare, the 19th-century ‘peasant’ poet who received only the