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Bath Literature Festival 2026 welcomes Hamnet author Maggie O’Farrell

Maggie o'farrell 2024 author photo © dasha tenditna



Bath Literature Festival has announced that bestselling novelist Maggie O’Farrell will appear at this year’s festival to celebrate the release of her new novel, Land.

The award-winning author will be in Bath for a special evening at The Forum on Monday 1 June at 7pm, in partnership with Waterstones.

Maggie O’Farrell is best known for Hamnet, which won Waterstones Book of the Year and the Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2020. The recent film adaptation, co-written by O’Farrell, has already picked up Golden Globe awards and is tipped for further success this awards season.

Bath Literature Festival has announced that bestselling novelist Maggie O’Farrell will appear at this year’s festival to celebrate the release of her new novel, Land.
Maggie O’Farrell will discuss her new book, Land

Her new novel, Land, is described as both intimate and epic. Inspired by the mapping of Ireland in the mid-19th century, it explores family, survival and belonging, weaving together history, landscape and memory.

Bath Literature Festival audiences will be among the first to receive a copy of Land, which is published on 2 June. While the author will not be signing books on the night, copies will be stamped with an exclusive author signature, available only on the Land book tour.

There will also be opportunities for audience questions during the event.

Tickets go on sale at 10am on Tuesday 20 January and are available online via Bath Box Office or by phone on 01225 463362.

More highlights confirmed for Bath Literature Festival 2026

The festival has also announced an appearance by historian and broadcaster Tom Holland, co-host of The Rest is History podcast. He will be at The Forum on Friday 22 May, celebrating his new Penguin Classics translation of Lives of the Twelve Caesars.

Booker Prize-winning author Douglas Stuart, known for Shuggie Bain and Young Mungo, will also visit Bath to discuss his forthcoming novel John is John, with full booking details to be announced soon.

The full programme for Bath Literature Festival (Saturday 16 May to Sunday 24 May) and Bath International Music Festival (Saturday 30 May to Sunday 7 June) will be revealed in February.

Bath Festivals, the charity behind the events, works to inspire and connect communities through music and literature, with a strong focus on inclusion, accessibility and shared cultural experiences.

bathfestivals.org.uk/bath-literature-festival/

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