Hamnet (novel)

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Hamnet
Hamnet (book cover).jpg
First edition
Author Maggie O'Farrell
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
GenreHistorical fiction
Published31 March 2020
Publisher Tinder Press
Pages384
Awards Women's Prize (2020),
National Book Critics (2020)
ISBN 978-1472223791
(1st ed. UK Hardcover)
OCLC 1104658967
823/.914
LC Class PR6065.F36 H35 2020

Hamnet is a 2020 novel by Maggie O'Farrell. It is a fictional account of William Shakespeare's son, Hamnet, who died at age eleven in 1596, focusing on his parents' grief. In Canada, the novel was published under the title Hamnet & Judith. [1]

Contents

In 2020, the book won the Women's Prize for Fiction [2] and National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction; that December, it was also chosen as Waterstones' Book Of The Year. [3] The following year, it was named "Novel of the Year" at the Dalkey Literary Awards, [4] was shortlisted for the Walter Scott Prize, [5] and longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction. [6] It was described in Literary Review as "a rich story by any stretch of the imagination, and O'Farrell's stretches much, much further than most of ours." [7]

Adaptations

In 2023, a stage adaptation of the novel by Lolita Chakrabarti premiered at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon, re-opening the Swan Theatre after the COVID-19 pandemic and refurbishment. [8] [9] In September, the piece transferred to the Garrick Theatre in London, directed by Erica Whyman and starring Madeleine Mantock as Agnes Hathaway, Tom Varey as William Shakespeare and Ajani Cabey as Hamnet. It is scheduled to play until at least February 2024. [10]

A film adaptation produced in part by Amblin Partners and directed by Chloé Zhao was announced in April 2023, with Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal in talks to star in the film. [11]

Awards

Awards and honours for Hamnet
Year-Award/HonourCategoryResultRef.
2020 National Book Critics Circle Award Fiction Won [2]
Women's Prize for Fiction Won [3]
2021 Andrew Carnegie Medal FictionLonglist [6]
Dalkey Literary AwardsNovel of the YearWon [4]
Walter Scott Prize Shortlist [5]

Related Research Articles

John O'Farrell is a British author, comedy scriptwriter, and political campaigner. Previously a lead writer for such shows as Spitting Image and Have I Got News for You, he is now best known as a comic author for such books such as The Man Who Forgot His Wife and An Utterly Impartial History of Britain. He is one of a small number of British writers to have achieved best-seller status with both fiction and nonfiction. He has also published three collections of his weekly column for The Guardian and set up Britain's first daily satirical news website NewsBiscuit. With comedian Angela Barnes, he co-hosts the light-hearted historical podcast We Are History.

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References

  1. "Hamnet and Judith". CBC Books. 9 September 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Novel about Shakespeare's son wins fiction prize". BBC News. 9 September 2020. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  3. 1 2 Beer, Tom (25 March 2021). "National Book Critics Circle Presents Awards". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  4. 1 2 "Winner of the Novel of the Year 2021". www.zurich.ie. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  5. 1 2 "Australians comprise majority of Walter Scott Prize shortlist". Books+Publishing. 24 March 2021. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  6. 1 2 "2021 Winners". Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence . 18 October 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  7. France, Miranda (31 March 2020). "Love in the Time of Plague". Literary Review .
  8. "RSC to stage play about plague death of William Shakespeare's son Hamnet". the Guardian. 8 November 2022. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  9. "Swan Theatre". Royal Shakespeare Company. 2 April 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  10. "Hamnet Tickets", London Theatre Direct. Retrieved October 13, 2023
  11. Kroll, Justin (4 April 2023). "Chloé Zhao To Direct Adaptation Of Maggie O'Farrell's Novel 'Hamnet' For Amblin Partners, Hera Pictures, Neal Street Productions and Book of Shadows". Deadline. Retrieved 4 April 2023.