Dr. Farah Karim Cooper, a renowned Pakistani scholar, has been appointed as the new director of the prestigious Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC.
The Folger Shakespeare Library’s Board of Governors announced Karim Cooper’s appointment after a comprehensive 10-month international search to find a successor for the 92-year-old institution.
Karim Cooper currently serves as the Director of Education (Higher Education & Research) at Shakespeare’s Globe in London and brings with her 20 years of experience from the Globe.
Originally from Karachi and raised in Houston, Texas, Karim Cooper is a leading Shakespeare scholar and public intellectual. She is a Professor of Shakespeare Studies at King’s College London and the author of numerous acclaimed publications.
She will take over from Michael Witmore, who has been director since 2011, and will begin her new role on October 7, 2024.
Expressing her excitement, Karim Cooper said, “I am thrilled to take up the role of Director of the Folger Shakespeare Library. After twenty years at Shakespeare’s Globe developing a scholarly profile while leading research, education, collections, and public programming, this role is the natural next step on my lifelong journey with Shakespeare. The Folger is a world-renowned and beloved institution, a significant beacon of knowledge that daily demonstrates the importance of the humanities. I am truly honored to uphold its founding mission while forging new ways to demonstrate how Shakespeare’s work speaks to our moment. Above all, I look forward to working with the Folger’s passionate staff and its remarkable Board of Governors to lead this miraculous institution into its second century.”
Her appointment marks a historic moment as she becomes the eighth director of the Folger Shakespeare Library and the first person of color to hold this esteemed position.
