1611 in literature

This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1611. Events January 1 – Oberon, the Faery Prince, a masque written by Ben Jonson and designed by Inigo Jones, is performed at Whitehall Palace. February 3 – Love Freed from Ignorance and Folly, another Jonson/Jones masque, is also staged at Whitehall. May 2 – The Authorized King James Version of the Bible appears, printed in London by Robert Barker. May 11 – The first known performance of Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale, probably new this year, is given by the King's Men at the Globe Theatre in London. November 1 – The King's Men give perhaps the first performance of The Tempest, Shakespeare's last solo play, at Whitehall Palace. November 5 – The King's Men perform The Winter's Tale at Whitehall Palace. December 26 – The King's Men return to Court with Beaumont and Fletcher's A King and No King. December 27 – Queen Anne's Men act one of their most popular plays, Greene's Tu Quoque (The City Gallant; probably written by John Cooke) at Court, having previously performed it at the Red Bull Theatre. unknown dates The last known traditional performance of an English mystery play is given at Kendal. Dramatist Juan Ruiz de Alarcón returns to Spain from Mexico. New books Prose The Holy Bible, Authorized King James Version Jacques Bongars – Gesta Dei per Francos Thomas Coryat – Coryat's Crudities hastily gobbled up in Five Months Travels in France, Italy, &c Randle Cotgrave – A Dictionarie of the French and English Tongues John Donne – An Anatomy of the World Giolla Brighde Ó hEoghusa (Bonaventura Ó hEoghusa or O'Hussey) – An Teagasc Criosdaidhe Samuel Rowlands – The Knave of Clubs John Speed: The Historie of Great Britaine The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine (map atlas)