Well here's a twist I didn't see coming: just days after the First Folio was returned to the UK, Raymond Scott (who took the stolen book to D.C. this summer) has filed suit to have the book returned to him. After filing the claim yesterday, Scott attempted to serve the papers on Durham vice-chancellor Christopher Higgins in person; Higgins was not available (check out the picture of Scott making his trek to the campus).
Scott told the Northern Echo "I want recovery of what I refer to as the Cuban copy of Mr Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories and Tragedies London 1623, delivered by me to the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington DC. It is claimed by Durham University to be their copy, which was stolen in 1998. Experts appointed by me require access to the book to compare and contrast the Cuban with known records of the Durham copy. This is something we have been denied and this is the first stage in attempting to get the book returned to me. I am confident that there are sufficient differences in the two books so that, on the balance of probabilities, it will be decided that the book is not the one that was stolen in 1998."
Durham University officials said that the paperwork regarding Scott's legal claim had not yet been received as of last night, and that they would deal with any such documents in the appropriate manner. Once the legal papers are received, Higgins would have two weeks to respond. Durham police told reporters "As far as we are concerned, the folio believed to have been stolen from Durham University ten years ago was brought from America to the North-East at the weekend. It remains under lock and key and continues to be the subject of a criminal investigation."
Bizarre.
[h/t Shelf:Life]
