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William Shakespeare (baptised 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English poet and playwright, now widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's preeminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "The Bard"). His surviving works consist of 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of  any other playwright.

Proposed version:

William Shakespeare (baptised 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English poet and playwright, now widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's preeminent dramatist.[best][greenblatt][nevington][wells] He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "The Bard"). His surviving works consist of 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of  any other playwright.[craig] [best] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/286082.stm Shakespeare voted millennium's best writer], BBC News, March 1, 1999, accessed Oct. 11, 2007. [greenblatt] Greenblatt, Stephen (2005). ''Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare''. London: Pimlico, 11. ISBN 0712600981. [nevington]  Bevington, David (2002) Shakespeare, 1–3. Oxford: Blackwell. ISBN 0631227199. [wells] Wells, Stanley (1997). Shakespeare: A Life in Drama. New York: W. W. Norton, 399. ISBN 0393315622. [craig]