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FORGOTTEN HISTORY: Maggie ofarrell | History Defined

After Hamnet - Maggie O'Farrell talks Land, Irish myths and seeing her novel become a film

Our books editor, Zoe, sits down with Maggie O'Farrell to talk about her new book, Land, as well as the making of Hamnet and her creative process

Woman & Home

Your summer fiction reading list: five of the best reads of 2026 so far, according to our experts

The best summer companion is a good book. This year has already given us some truly brilliant ones making it really hard to whittle down the best. But no matter what your tastes are, we have you covered. These novels range from historical fiction to gripping crime drama. From 1800s…

The Conversation

70 brilliant books for the summer

From dynamite debuts to must-read memoirs and magical children’s fiction, here’s our selection of this year’s hottest holiday reads. Plus leading authors share their favourites

The Guardian - UK

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Maggie O'Farrell flattens 19th century Ireland into a theme-pub cliché in her new novel

Maggie O’Farrell’s tenth novel Land is a sprawling family saga. It traverses the landmarks of 19th century Irish history, including the Great Famine – with its corollary, incarceration in the workhouse – and the mapping of Ireland via the Ordnance Survey.

The Conversation

Heartbreaking historical tales, unsettling scenes and shortlisted non-fiction – what to read, watch and see this week

This curation of The Conversation UK’s arts and culture coverage was first published in our fortnightly newsletter, Something Good.

The Conversation

12 best new books that everyone is talking about this summer

From contemporary romances to historical fiction, these titles are all over the commute

Evening Standard

Land by Maggie O'Farrell book review: This doomladen tale doesn’t quite land

As one predictable disaster follows another, we feel no closer to feeling much sympathy, writes A N Wilson

Evening Standard

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This is the one book I’m recommending to everyone this summer

Set in the aftermath of the Great Famine, Maggie O’Farrell’s new novel traces the history of Ireland

Evening Standard

Land by Maggie O'Farrell is haunting tale set in post-famine Ireland about history, map-making and memory

Maggie O’Farrell’s exquisite new novel, Land, is a haunting tale of loss, endurance and renewal. Spanning generations and continents, O’Farrell traces the fragile threads that connect people and place: stories half remembered, names erased, objects carried forward like talismans against oblivion, ghosts that haunt the edges of memory, music that…

The Conversation

Land by Maggie O’Farrell review – an ambitious story of mapmaking in Ireland

Set in the aftermath of the famine, the Hamnet author’s family saga folds in myth and folklore

The Guardian - UK

Hamnet author Maggie O’Farrell reveals she turned down an OBE for two reasons

‘The first thing was that I didn’t want ‘British Empire’ as part of my name,’ said the author

The Independent UK

Maggie O’Farrell on how her many near-death experiences led to the writing of Hamnet: ‘Almost dying reconfigures you’

Author initially had hesitations about writing the screenplay for the Oscar-winning adaptation of her 2020 novel

The Independent UK

From reality TV to Oscar winner, Jessie Buckley thanks 'incredible women I stand beside' as she becomes first Irish woman to win best actress

Taking home the award on Mother's Day, the star alluded to the 'beautiful chaos of a mother’s heart during emotional speech

Woman & Home

Jessie Buckley dedicates Oscar win to ‘beautiful chaos of a mother’s heart’

The 36-year-old became the first Irish actress to win the prize, taking home the award for her portrayal of William Shakespeare’s wife Agnes.

The Independent UK

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Evening Standard

Jessie Buckley makes Oscars history as she becomes first Irish best actress winner

The 36-year-old took home the award for her portrayal of William Shakespeare’s wife Agnes

The Guardian - UK

Jessie Buckley becomes first Irish winner of best actress Oscar for Hamnet

Buckley, who plays Shakespeare’s wife Agnes in adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s novel, was favourite to win after victories in all preceding ceremonies

TechRadar

How to watch Oscars 2026 online without cable — stream 98th Academy Awards from anywhere

With Sinners and One Battle After Another set to win big at the 98th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in LA, here's how to watch Oscars 2026 for free.

Evening Standard

Rose Byrne leads glamorous early arrivals to the Oscars

Rose Byrne was joined on the red carpet by Chase Infiniti, Renate Reinsve and Felicity Jones.

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The Independent UK

Why Hamnet should win Best Picture

THE BATTLE FOR BEST PICTURE: Chloé Zhao’s grief-stricken Shakespeare film is emotionally traumatising yet quietly extraordinary, argues Jessie Thompson, and more than worthy of taking home the biggest prize at this year’s Academy Awards

The Independent UK

Emma Thompson, Gisèle Pelicot and Dawn French among Hay Festival 2026 headliners

Filmmaker Emerald Fennell and ‘Hamnet’ author Maggie O’Farrell are also on the line-up

The Guardian - UK

Gisèle Pelicot and Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe among Hay Festival 2026 speakers

The line-up for this year’s festival includes Emma Thompson, Malala Yousafzai, Ian McEwan and other prominent authors and figures

The Independent UK

Hamnet author Maggie O’Farrell shares how the Brontë sisters influence her work

Hamnet author Maggie O’Farrell has spoken about the figures who have shaped and inspired her career, as she appears on The Independent’s Influence List marking International Women’s Day.

The Independent UK

Jessie Buckley says she ‘doesn’t regret’ her appearance on I’d Do Anything

Oscar-nominated actor says she’s ‘so proud of that girl... I think she did great’

The Guardian - UK

Why Hamnet should win the best picture Oscar

By forefronting Jessie Buckley’s Agnes at the expense of her megastar husband, this female-directed feminist fest gives voice to the anguished howls of disenfranchised women everywhere

Evening Standard

Jessie Buckley: Hamnet role changed who I am

The actress was speaking on the red carpet at the Actor Awards.

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