PREVIEW by Gemma West
Since Maggie O’Farrell’s novel Hamnet was adapted for the screen by Chloé Zhao, she has garnered international recognition like never before. The film of the same name was recently nominated for six Golden Globes and eight Oscars, with Jessie Buckley scooping up both awards for ‘Best Actress’ for her heartbreaking performance as Agnes.
Amidst the Oscar buzz, O’Farrell has finally announced her next book, Land. It is set to be released on June 6 with the storyline spanning across generations and the Great Famine in Ireland. Set in 1865, the book tackles hope, reunion, loss, survival and colonisation. It follows a father, Tomas and his son, Liam, mapping Britain as part of the Ordnance Survey.
After finding out a relative had worked on the Survey, O’Farrell set out gathering research on both him and the landscape, wanting to incorporate family history in her work. In an interview with Tinder Press, she said: “It’s a book I’ve been wanting to write for a very long time.”
Land draws together some of her lifelong interests: cartography, sacred wells, archaeology, and the entwined roots of colonialism and migration. “I’ve loved writing it and it’s very exciting that it’s almost ready to be launched,” she said. “I hope you’ll enjoy it.”
Land is O’Farrell’s 10th novel, and has been chosen for multiple book of the year previews in both the United Kingdom and United States. Her UK and Ireland book tour takes place from May 31 to June 18, starting in Hay-on-Wye, Wales and ending in Cork, Ireland.
O’Farrell also recently signed a second deal with producer Liz Marshall, giving her access to the screen rights for Land. Marshall told Variety, “Land is a profoundly moving work — intimate, expansive and deeply human.
“Maggie has an extraordinary ability to illuminate history through the emotional lives of her characters,” she said, “and this novel feels both urgent and timeless.”
Land will be out in all major bookstores on June 6.
