Maggie O’Farrell: Portrait of a Writer
About this episode
Maggie O’Farrell discusses her writing life and latest novels in conversation with Kate Evans.
Over a masterful career spanning 10 novels, a memoir and various children’s books, Maggie O’Farrell has established herself as a modern literary monument. Her two latest novels, Hamnet , inspired by Shakespeare’s family, and The Marriage Portrait , set in 16th-century Italian court, represent a turn into historical fiction. The former won the UK’s Women’s Prize for Fiction, while the latter was shortlisted for it. In conversation with Kate Evans, Maggie teases out the details of her writing life, including her interest in the depth of women’s stories and the intricate intimacy of families, and the wild popularity of Hamnet. This episode was recorded live in May at the 2025 Sydney Writers’ Festival. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and follow our channel. Sydney Writers’ Festival podcasts are available on all major podcast platforms. After more? Follow Sydney Writers’ Festival on social media: Instagram: @sydwritersfest Facebook: @SydWritersFest TikTok: @sydwritersfest See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
People in this episode
Host: Kate Evans
Guest: Maggie O’Farrell
Topics covered
- literary career
- historical fiction
- women's stories
- family dynamics
- writing process
Keywords
- Maggie O’Farrell
- Hamnet
- The Marriage Portrait
- women's stories
- historical fiction
- writing life
- Sydney Writers' Festival
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Sydney Writers’ Festival
Books & works: Hamnet, The Marriage Portrait
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