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 Unveils New Novel on Irish Famine
Hamnet author Maggie O Farrell on her – When Maggie O’Farrell greets readers at her Edinburgh home, the setting feels both intimate and grounded, contrasting sharply with the recent whirlwind of awards she’s navigated. As the acclaimed Hamnet author Maggie O Farrell, she recently accepted a Bafta and a Golden Globe for adapting her novel to the screen, yet her current project—Land—has become her primary focus. This new work delves into the Irish famine, a historical event that reshaped the nation’s fate, and reflects her deep connection to her family’s past.
Awards and Personal Style
O’Farrell’s foray into Hollywood was marked by deliberate choices in appearance. At the Bafta ceremony, she chose a red quill headpiece, a tribute to her literary heritage, while the Oscars saw her wear a black veil and a Victorian mourning necklace. “It felt like a natural fit,” she says, linking the costumes to the emotional weight of Hamnet’s tragic story. “He died when he was really young and he was real.” These sartorial decisions were not just aesthetic but a way to honor the themes of loss and resilience in her work.
Though she treasures her accolades, O’Farrell keeps her Bafta in the basement, a small but meaningful gesture of humility. “Until I get used to the idea,” she laughs, gesturing toward the storage space. This act symbolizes her balance between public recognition and private reflection, a contrast she finds refreshing in an industry often driven by spectacle.
The Novel Land
Land explores the life of an Irish mapmaker serving the British army during the mid-19th century. “I wanted to tell the entire story of Ireland through one piece of land,” O’Farrell explains, highlighting the novel’s thematic depth. The inspiration came unexpectedly during a train ride, where the opening line—“His father was ever a man of few words”—lingered in her mind, sparking a narrative rooted in the Great Famine.
Her great-great-grandfather, an Ordnance Survey mapmaker, became a key figure in the novel. “He was tasked with updating Ireland’s maps,” she notes, “and it’s clear why revisions were essential. A catastrophe had reshaped the country.” The famine, which claimed over a million lives and displaced countless families, serves as the novel’s backdrop, examining how colonial policies exacerbated suffering. “The book is about families left to perish on estates owned by British elites,” she says, emphasizing the historical injustice central to the story.
Colonization and Human Cost
O’Farrell’s research into her family’s history reveals a personal link to the famine’s aftermath. The Ordnance Survey maps, she explains, were not just tools for navigation but instruments of control, reflecting the shifting power dynamics of a country in crisis. “The revisions were necessary,” she adds, “but I struggled to imagine what it was like for those who lived through it.” This connection fuels her narrative, blending intimate family history with broader historical events.
When discussing Britain’s role in the famine, O’Farrell acknowledges its complexity. “Multiple factors contributed to the disaster,” she says, pointing to the potato blight and colonial economic policies. The export of food crops like wheat and corn to Britain, while Irish communities starved, remains a poignant example of exploitation. “The ballad The Fields of Athenry refers to it as ‘Trevelyan’s corn’,” she mentions, drawing attention to the legacy of Charles Trevelyan, a civil servant who viewed the famine as divine punishment.
Historical Parallels and Legacy
O’Farrell’s portrayal of the famine also critiques the legacy of British imperialism. “Trevelyan described the disaster in a letter as God’s punishment for a lazy, ungrateful population,” she says, her tone tinged with frustration. Yet, just a year later, he was knighted for his relief efforts. “It’s unsettling,” she reflects. This contradiction motivates her to question historical recognition. “I’d quite like them to rescind it,” she adds, a sentiment that resonates throughout her novel’s exploration of human ambition and consequence.
Amid the historical weight of Land, O’Farrell also weaves themes of displacement and identity. “Being moved from one place to another creates a ghost self,” she explains, referencing her own family’s migration. Born in Northern Ireland, she relocated to Wales as a child and later settled in Scotland in the 1970s. These personal experiences inform her writing, grounding the novel’s broader historical narrative in individual stories of resilience and adaptation.