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The Book Club

Hamnet: Love, Grief, and Motherhood

3/10/20261 hr 7 min

How does Maggie O'Farrell create the historical figures of William Shakespeare and his wife, Agnes Hathaway, in her novel Hamnet? What does the film adaptation starring Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley do differently to the book? How do the themes of fate and loss affect the characters and the reader?

Join Dominic Sandbrook and Tabitha Syrett as they delve into the fascinating story behind the writing of Hamnet, the world it was born of, and the novel itself.

You can order Hamnet and explore our favourite Folio books at...

Clips

Agnes hears “Hamlet” onstage
Her son returns onstage
The twins’ fateful exchange
Grief versus going back
The second-best bed defended
Comedies after a child’s death

Transcript preview

First 90 seconds

  1. Tabitha Syrett· Host0:00

    This episode is brought to you by The Folio Society.

  2. Dominic Sandbrook· Host0:03

    Now, Tabby, as you know, there are some books that you read once, but there are others you especially return to again and again. And those second kind of books, the ones you go back to, they really deserve to last, don't they?

  3. Tabitha Syrett· Host0:15

    That's what The Folio Society does. They are an independent employee-owned publisher based in London. Since 1947, they've been turning the stories we know and love into books for life.

  4. Dominic Sandbrook· Host0:26

    Yes. Every book is produced with specially commissioned beautiful artwork and a specially commissioned introduction that puts the story in its context.

  5. Tabitha Syrett· Host0:36

    Whether you're into crime, sci-fi, or history, Folio Society publishes the books we love, from Bronte to Dickens, from Margaret Atwood to Tom Holland. The books can feel like works of art in their own right. They're built around the text, the stories that last in books that are made to last. If a story matters, keep it properly. Find it at foliosociety.com/thebookclub. That's foliosociety.com/thebookclub.

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