Maggie O'Farrell: Loves, Labours, Loss

Edinburgh-based Maggie O’Farrell hit a spectacular new career high last year with the publication of Hamnet – winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction, a huge bestseller across the world and unquestionably a standout book of 2020. Why did O’Farrell’s novel about the death Shakespeare’s only son strike such a chord with readers? It certainly didn’t do any harm that the story was set in a time of pandemic. But more fundamentally, Hamnet was striking for its compelling and deeply insightful depiction of a mother’s love for her children. Fierce maternal devotion – and the aching sense of loss –  are at the heart of today’s event about the experiences that have shaped her writing and ideas. O’Farrell discusses the influence of a mild neurological condition on her writing. A childhood bout of encephalitis resulted in a number of small but important changes in her mental and bodily performance, including balance issues, inhibited proprioception and stammering. How have these influenced her work?

Join her for a fascinating look inside the mind of an author who has produced fiction and non-fiction of the highest order.