Hamnet writer hails creative ‘family’ after Golden Globes success

Hamnet writer Maggie O’Farrell has said that the film winning best drama at the Golden Globes “signifies a really communal effort”.

The bestselling author, who wrote the novel of the same name, described the team behind the film as a “family”.

As well as winning best drama, Sunday’s awards ceremony in Los Angeles also saw Jessie Buckley win best actress for her starring role in the film.

Speaking from LA, the Northern Irish writer told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “The film world isn’t really my world.

“I’m very used to the book world. It’s just – I think what’s very different about winning an award like this – is it signifies a really communal effort.

“You know, it’s a kind of family. It’s the Hamnet family, and we all made the film together, and everybody’s been recognised, which is just really, really lovely.

“It’s pretty buoyant, I have to say. Everybody’s really excited. And Jessie, of course, Jessie Buckley was singled out for her best efforts, which was really fantastic to see. So everybody’s pretty happy. I can certainly say that.”

Hamnet won several awards after it was published as a novel in 2020, and is a fictional account of the lives of playwright William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes.

Asked why she thinks both the novel and film have proved so popular, O’Farrell said: “Well, I think it’s two things. I think Shakespeare has always had and always will have a very universal appeal.

“And I think this story, which is focused on the death of his son, presents him to us as a human being. Not the literary icon he was.

“When I was writing the novel, I wanted to ask readers to forget everything they think they know about him, and meet this person as a human. It is a story about grief and loss, but it’s also about huge catharsis by the end.

“And, you know, we sort of understand where art comes from and why we need it, how grief transmutes into love and then back again.”

Actor Paul Mescal, who played Shakespeare, was nominated for best supporting actor at the Golden Globes, but lost out to Stellan Skarsgard for his role in Sentimental Value, while Chloe Zhao and O’Farrell were nominated for best screenplay and Zhao was nominated for best director, but both categories were won by One Battle After Another.