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Hamnet author Maggie O'Farrell on her new novel on the Irish famine and keeping her Bafta in the basement

Hamnet author Maggie O'Farrell on her new novel on the Irish famine and keeping her Bafta in the basement

Summary

Maggie O'Farrell, author of the novel Hamnet, has released a new book called Land. The novel focuses on the story of an Irish mapmaker during the Great Famine in the mid-19th century and explores themes of colonization and family survival.

Key Facts

  • Maggie O'Farrell recently won a Bafta and a Golden Globe for the film adaptation of her novel Hamnet.
  • She wrote her new book Land inspired by her great-great-grandfather who made maps for the British army in Ireland during the famine.
  • The Great Famine happened in the mid-1800s, killing about a million people and forcing many to leave Ireland.
  • Land tells the story of a family affected by the famine, set against the background of British landowners and estates.
  • O'Farrell sees her novel as political, dealing with the effects of colonization and devastation in Ireland.
  • She kept her Bafta award in her basement as she still adjusts to the recognition.
  • O'Farrell chose not to use a stylist at awards events and wore meaningful accessories related to her work instead.
  • The novel began from a single sentence that came to her on a train and grew into a story about emigration and survival.
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