‘Hamnet’ named Waterstones book of the year

UK bookselling chain Waterstones has named Maggie O’Farrell’s novel Hamnet (Tinder Press) as its book of the year, reports the Bookseller.

Waterstones fiction buyer Bea Carvalho said Hamnet­—which is inspired by the life and death of Shakespeare’s only son—was ‘the clear standout title’ for its booksellers, calling it ‘a masterwork’.

‘We have been hugely impressed by the abundance of brilliant books published this year and, for our booksellers, Hamnet is the clear standout title: a work of immense style and emotional heft which will surely go on to be a future classic,’ said Carvalho. ‘Maggie O’Farrell’s novel is a literary treat which offers texture to the history of our most famous playwright, a portrait of parenthood’s dazzling highs and devastating lows, and a testament to the enduring power of the human spirit: this wonderful novel truly has something for readers of all tastes.’

O’Farrell’s novel was chosen from a shortlist of 12 books. In September, Hamnet won the 2020 Women’s Prize for Fiction.

Last year’s Waterstones book of the year was The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (Charlie Mackesy, Ebury).

Category: International news