How Do You Follow a Global Phenomenon Like Hamnet? | Maggie O'Farrell

How Do You Follow a Global Phenomenon Like Hamnet? | Maggie O'Farrell

Maggie O'Farrell joins The Bibliofilles to discuss her extraordinary new novel, Land. In this wide-ranging conversation, Maggie explores the Irish history, mythology and landscape that inspired the book, the lasting legacy of the Great Hunger, and why the land itself becomes a living character in her fiction. We also discuss historical research, writing authentic historical novels, family, memory, grief, parenthood, and the stories of ordinary people caught inside major historical events. Maggie shares insights into her bestselling novels Hamnet and The Marriage Portrait, reveals how Irish myths shaped her storytelling, and explains the fascinating real-world history behind Ireland's sacred wells and folklore. We also go behind the scenes of adapting Hamnet for the screen, writing a screenplay, collaborating with filmmakers, and experiencing the journey from novel to Oscar-winning adaptation. Topics covered: Land by Maggie O'Farrell Historical fiction writing The Irish Great Hunger Irish mythology and folklore Hamnet adaptation The Marriage Portrait Researching historical novels Family, memory and trauma Writing process and creativity Novel writing vs screenwriting If you enjoy conversations about books, literature, writing, historical fiction and storytelling, subscribe to The Bibliofilles for more author interviews and literary discussions. 👇 All books mentioned are linked below 👇 Land by Maggie O'Farrell 👉 https://amzn.to/4x5CeGF [https://amzn.to/4x5CeGF] Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver 👉 https://amzn.to/4vo2hHj [https://amzn.to/4vo2hHj] Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell 👉 https://amzn.to/4vlCuj2 [https://amzn.to/4vlCuj2] The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell 👉 https://amzn.to/4x2nF6N [https://amzn.to/4x2nF6N] 👍 Like, subscribe, and turn on notifications for more bookish conversations with Chaya & Sophie. Sponsored by London Nootropics [https://londonnootropics.com/] https://londonnootropics.com [https://londonnootropics.com] #MaggieOFarrell #Land #Hamnet #TheMarriagePortrait #DemonCopperhead #BarbaraKingsolver #HistoricalFiction #LiteraryFiction #BookPodcast #AuthorInterview #BookTube #BookTok #ReadingCommunity #BooksBooksBooks #FictionBooks #IrishHistory #IrishLiterature #WritersLife #BookLovers #TheBibliofilles Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

We Read The Most Unhinged Reviews Of Our Favourite Books

When was the last time you read a book… without checking the reviews first? In this episode, we read the funniest, harshest, and most unhinged one-star reviews including brutal takedowns of classic books we love. It’s hilarious… until it isn’t. Because beneath the chaos, there’s a bigger question: Are we still thinking for ourselves or letting the internet decide what we like? 👇 All books mentioned are linked below 👇 Pride and Prejudice 👉 https://amzn.to/4eKSxSn [https://amzn.to/4eKSxSn] The Great Gatsby 👉 https://amzn.to/4eILoSE [https://amzn.to/4eILoSE] Frankenstein 👉 https://amzn.to/4efizx6 [https://amzn.to/4efizx6] Crime and Punishment 👉 https://amzn.to/4n1AbyS [https://amzn.to/4n1AbyS] Wuthering Heights 👉 https://amzn.to/3R79kVS [https://amzn.to/3R79kVS] The Divine Comedy 👉 https://amzn.to/3OGUPaJ [https://amzn.to/3OGUPaJ] 1984 👉 https://amzn.to/48vrC9j [https://amzn.to/48vrC9j] Everything’s Fine 👉 https://amzn.to/4cB4Orf [https://amzn.to/4cB4Orf] A Prayer for Owen Meany 👉 https://amzn.to/4vTHJrc [https://amzn.to/4vTHJrc] Never Let Me Go 👉 https://amzn.to/48Y62dK [https://amzn.to/48Y62dK] Wolf Hall 👉 https://amzn.to/4ud7UaL [https://amzn.to/4ud7UaL] The Bell Jar 👉 https://amzn.to/3OM9KAs [https://amzn.to/3OM9KAs] A Little Life 👉 https://amzn.to/4mZm3Gf [https://amzn.to/4mZm3Gf] A Discovery of Witches 👉 https://amzn.to/4wbQFsm [https://amzn.to/4wbQFsm] Empire of Pain 👉 https://amzn.to/4mTBOyx [https://amzn.to/4mTBOyx] Still Life 👉 https://amzn.to/4tNDJXV [https://amzn.to/4tNDJXV] The Song of Achilles 👉 https://amzn.to/4cTfMr0 [https://amzn.to/4cTfMr0] Penance 👉 https://amzn.to/4ueNNZF [https://amzn.to/4ueNNZF] 👍 Like, subscribe, and turn on notifications for more bookish conversations with Chaya & Sophie. Sponsored by London Nootropics https://londonnootropics.com [https://londonnootropics.com] Discount code for 20% off  Biblio Discount Code For Bubble BIBLIO15: https://bubble.onelink.me/nnib/signup?deep_link_sub2=BIBLIO15.T&Cs [https://bubble.onelink.me/nnib/signup?deep_link_sub2=BIBLIO15.T&Cs] £15 off first childcare booking. Not valid in conjunction with other promo codes or account credit. Valid until 01.11.26. #books #booktok #booktube #bookreview #booklover #bookstagram #bookish #bookrecommendations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Governments Don’t Want You Reading These Books

What happens when society decides certain books are too dangerous to read?  In this episode of the Bibliofilles Podcast, we explore the shocking history of banned books, censorship, moral panic, and the stories that powerful institutions have tried to silence. From 1984 by George Orwell and Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury to The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood and The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, we discuss the novels that sparked outrage, political fear, religious backlash, and cultural controversy across generations. We unpack why books continue to be banned in schools and libraries, how censorship reflects societal anxieties, and why literature remains one of the most powerful forms of rebellion. Along the way, we explore dystopian fiction, authoritarianism, surveillance culture, feminism, LGBTQ+ book bans, freedom of speech, and the growing debates around what children should and should not be allowed to read. 👇 All books mentioned are linked below 👇 1984 by George Orwell 👉 https://amzn.to/4dD4KaY [https://amzn.to/4dD4KaY] The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood 👉 https://amzn.to/3RVSwSd [https://amzn.to/3RVSwSd] Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood 👉 https://amzn.to/4ubP6rT [https://amzn.to/4ubP6rT] Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury 👉 https://amzn.to/4vlrZwf [https://amzn.to/4vlrZwf] Julia by Sandra Newman 👉 https://amzn.to/3Qdw06T [https://amzn.to/3Qdw06T] A Brave New World by Aldous Huxley 👉 https://amzn.to/4vqAndX [https://amzn.to/4vqAndX] The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison 👉 https://amzn.to/4dX8Vx6 [https://amzn.to/4dX8Vx6] Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison 👉 https://amzn.to/4ee0UoN [https://amzn.to/4ee0UoN] I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou 👉 https://amzn.to/4e3jrTQ [https://amzn.to/4e3jrTQ] The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck 👉 https://amzn.to/3RVT2Q9 [https://amzn.to/3RVT2Q9] The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie 👉 https://amzn.to/4xj6FJJ [https://amzn.to/4xj6FJJ] The Red Tent by Anita Diamant 👉 https://amzn.to/4fSGq6l [https://amzn.to/4fSGq6l] Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi 👉 https://amzn.to/4uOnzOG [https://amzn.to/4uOnzOG] Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov 👉 https://amzn.to/4dYYZ6s [https://amzn.to/4dYYZ6s] A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess 👉 https://amzn.to/4uI57Hr [https://amzn.to/4uI57Hr] Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller 👉 https://amzn.to/3REVLxq [https://amzn.to/3REVLxq] Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling 👉 https://amzn.to/4399AXr [https://amzn.to/4399AXr] Charlotte's Web by E.B. White and Garth Williams 👉 https://amzn.to/49ytoXX [https://amzn.to/49ytoXX] Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe 👉 https://amzn.to/3RFZNpg [https://amzn.to/3RFZNpg] All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson 👉 https://amzn.to/4fiRtpo [https://amzn.to/4fiRtpo] This Book Is Gay by Juno Dawson 👉 https://amzn.to/4anvXMD [https://amzn.to/4anvXMD] Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison 👉 https://amzn.to/4dHx5Nq [https://amzn.to/4dHx5Nq] Educated by Tara Westover 👉 https://amzn.to/4nZIbAN [https://amzn.to/4nZIbAN] If you love literary analysis, classic books, dystopian fiction, banned books history, political literature, and conversations about culture through literature, this episode is for you. 👍 Like, subscribe, and turn on notifications for more bookish conversations with Chaya & Sophie. Sponsored by London Nootropics ⁠https://londonnootropics.com⁠ #BannedBooks #BookTok #BibliophilesPodcast #BooksPodcast #LiteraturePodcast #BookLovers #ClassicLiterature #DystopianBooks #1984 #Fahrenheit451 #TheHandmaidsTale #GeorgeOrwell #MargaretAtwood #ToniMorrison #BookDiscussion #ReadingCommunity #BookRecommendations #FreedomToRead #Censorship #BookCensorship #LiteraryPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

The Most Performative Book on The Internet?

What happens when one of the internet’s most aesthetic books is actually read properly? In this deep dive episode,  we unpack The Stranger by Albert Camus the slim philosophical classic that has become a cultural obsession online. From performative reading culture and celebrity book clubs to absurdism, existentialism, alienation, mental health, internet culture, and modern emotional burnout, this episode explores why The Stranger still feels terrifyingly relevant today. If you’ve ever seen someone reading The Stranger on the train and wondered what it actually means this is the episode for you. Perfect for fans of literary analysis, classic literature, philosophy, dark academia, booktok, existential fiction, and deep-dive book podcasts. 📚 Books & authors discussed: 👇 All books mentioned are linked below 👇 The Stranger 👉 https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=The+Stranger [https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=The+Stranger] The Myth of Sisyphus 👉 https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=The+Myth+of+Sisyphus [https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=The+Myth+of+Sisyphus] The Secret History 👉 https://amzn.to/48MawUD [https://amzn.to/48MawUD] Assembly 👉 https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=Assembly&crid [https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=Assembly&crid] Waiting for Godot 👉 https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=Waiting+for+Godot&crid [https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=Waiting+for+Godot&crid] Nausea 👉 https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=Nausea&crid [https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=Nausea&crid] Notes from Underground 👉 https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=Notes+from+Underground&crid [https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=Notes+from+Underground&crid] 👍 Like, subscribe, and turn on notifications for more bookish conversations with Chaya & Sophie. Sponsored by London Nootropics ⁠https://londonnootropics.com [https://londonnootropics.com] #AlbertCamus #TheStranger #BookPodcast #DarkAcademia #Philosophy #Existentialism #Absurdism #ClassicBooks #BookTok #LiteraryPodcast #FranzKafka #Dostoevsky #BookTube #Literature #DeepDivePodcast #TheBiblioFiles Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Is Yesteryear Trashing Us All

Why is everyone obsessed with Yesteryear right now? 👀 This week we unpack the book everyone seems to be reading from trad-wife culture and influencer motherhood to religion, feminism, identity, and the dark reality behind perfectly curated online lives.  We debate one of the most divisive female protagonists we’ve read in years, discuss the ending that split readers, and explore why this debut has sparked such a huge cultural conversation. 📚🎙️ 👇 All books mentioned are linked below 👇 Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke 👉 https://amzn.to/3P7DHv4 [https://amzn.to/3P7DHv4] True Grit by Charles Portis 👉 https://amzn.to/4nvJtDq [https://amzn.to/4nvJtDq] Strangers by Belle Burden 👉 https://amzn.to/4wvp3yh [https://amzn.to/4wvp3yh] Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center by Bell Hooks 👉 https://amzn.to/4eIubJ8 [https://amzn.to/4eIubJ8] 👍 Like, subscribe, and turn on notifications for more bookish conversations with Chaya & Sophie. Sponsored by London Nootropics ⁠https://londonnootropics.com⁠ Discount code for 20% off  Biblio Discount Code For Bubble BIBLIO15: ⁠https://bubble.onelink.me/nnib/signup?deep_link_sub2=BIBLIO15.T&Cs⁠ £15 off first childcare booking. Not valid in conjunction with other promo codes or account credit. Valid until 01.11.26. #books #booktok #booktube #bookreview #booklover #bookstagram #bookish #bookrecommendations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]