Take advantage of your leisure to catch up on some reading! Our choice this year: Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell, to be discussed on March 29th, 2025.
Maggie O’Farrell’s novel Hamnet offers a lyrical exploration of a family’s grief following the death of William Shakespeare’s son, Hamnet, in 1596 at the age of 11. Rather than focusing on Shakespeare himself, the story centres on his wife, Agnes, a woman with unusual gifts, and their family in Stratford as they navigate this tragedy. Set in Warwickshire in the 1580s, the novel portrays their life with their three children—Susanna and twins Hamnet and Judith—and subtly connects Hamnet’s loss to the creation of the play Hamlet four years later.
‘A bold feat of imagination and empathy … a portrait of unspeakable grief wreathed in great beauty’ New York Times
‘This story of remarkable people bereft of their boy will leave you shaking with loss but also the love from which family is spun’ Emma Donaghue
‘Radiant, immersive … A narrative that shimmers with intimate insight’ Mail on Sunday
Enrol now to receive the material, read the novel over the summer, take note of your thoughts and impressions, and then join Mariela Burani and the APRIR Reading Group for a two-hour online discussion.
Date: March 29th, 2025 – 10 am
APRIR members: $8000 – Non-members: $11000
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