Word sprinter

London, Nov. 16 (Reuters): When Sean Shannon goes to the theatre, no one could blame him for shouting: ?Get On With It? when Hamlet delivers his famous ?to be or not to be? speech.

For the last 15 years, the Canadian businessman has held the record for being the world?s fastest talker ? he can recite the 260-word Shakespeare soliloquy in 23.8 seconds. ?When the speech comes on, I do tend to get ahead of the actor a little bit in my mind as it is so ingrained in my memory,? he said.

But Shannon, a mild-mannered 52-year-old who refuses to take his quirky talent too seriously, is not resting on his laurels. ?I have now broken the record twice and I think I could break it just one more time,? Shannon said at a London reception to mark the 50th anniversary of Guinness World Records.

?I can do 655 words a minute. I would like to get to 660. That would be quite a landmark,? he said. To reach that pitch of verbal perfection, Shannon finds it best to empty the mind completely before embarking on his word sprints.

?I think it is important NOT to think about what you are saying. I gather newscasters do an entire newscast without understanding a word they say.?