We, the undersigned, hereby request that the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in Stratford-upon-Avon write a single definitive declaration of the reasons why they claim that there is no room for doubt about the identity of the author of the plays and poems of William Shakespeare, and post it along with the names of those who have endorsed it. Yes, there is a case to be made for the traditional attribution to William of Stratford; but what about all of the anomalies that do not fit, and which have led so many highly credible people to express doubt? With all of the questions raised, the issue calls for a definitive treatment.
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Why is such a declaration needed? The modern-day controversy over the authorship of the great plays and poems has lasted for over 150 years, and is now gaining momentum. Thousands of books have been written about it, plus many more thousands of articles in scholarly journals, leading newspapers, and newsletters of organizations that focus on it. Many of our greatest writers, thinkers, actors and statesmen have expressed doubt about the identity of the author. Most Shakespeare scholars say there is no room for doubt, but there is no definitive statement of the evidence and arguments that support their position. In the interest of informing the public, the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, as a prominent defender and major financial beneficiary of the traditional attribution, should write one.

To clarify its own position, the Shakespeare Authorship Coalition undertook to write a concise, definitive overview of the evidence and arguments for and against the Stratford man to make the fundamental reasons for the controversy understandable and accessible, and to make it possible for those who see it as a legitimate issue to take a public position. By October 23, 2011, 2,147 people had signed the resulting "Declaration of Reasonable Doubt About the Identity of William Shakespeare" (DoubtAboutWill.org) - 79\% of them college graduates, 783 with advanced degrees (334 of them doctoral degrees), 386 current or former college or university faculty members, and including such notables as former U.S. Supreme Court Justices John Paul Stevens and Sandra Day O'Connor.

If doubters were able to write such a document, so can the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. If, as they claim, there is no room for doubt, they should easily be able to make that clear. Six months from today (October 23, 2011) should be enough time for the SBT to write it.