There are 171 different events across the Auckland Writer’s festival and I managed to get to 2 of the first ones last night! I had been excited to see Maggie O’Farrell (even though it was an online chat via her home in Edinburgh!) since she was first announced, and then in a moment of spontaneity I decided to go along to Patrick Radden Keefe who followed, even though I’m yet to read a lot of his work (I’m halfway through his latest, London Falling, and it’s an extremely impressive piece of narrative non-fiction!). It was an incredible night that made me so excited for the busy weekend I have coming up, a little taster of the delights that Auckland Writer’s Festival provides to whet the appetite! Before Maggie O’Farrell and her host, Michelle Langstone even started, the magic was all around; what other festival involves sitting in beautiful rooms with smartly dressed people - many of whom were reading their book while they waited for the event to start? What a joy.
Things I learnt from Maggie O’Farrell’s hour with us:
- Maggie wanted to write the story of Shakespeare’s son for a long time, but had to wait to write the novel until her son was older than Hamnet was at the time of his tragic passing
During the filming of Hamnet, Director Chloe Zhao would host mini dance parties with the cast after a particularly emotional scene to help them all let it go
- More of Maggie’s novels are in the pipeline for being brought to screen (lucky for us!). Her newest novel that is not even out yet has already been snapped up for film adaptation by the same producer as Hamnet.
- Before writing Hamnet Maggie wrote her memoir, I am, I am, I am, and reflected that this was possibly so that she could process her own close brushes with death as a child before being able to write about the death of Hamnet
- The whole story of Land came from the first line which Maggie wrote down one day, and one train ride where she then mapped out the entire story which is inspired by the life of her great great grandfather, an Irish map maker who worked for the British mapping the changing landscape after the Irish Famine.
- Did you know Maggie wrote children’s books as well?? I need them all.
- As with all of Maggie’s novels I feel like I was completely swept up in the magic and beauty of everything she talked about with Michelle but I also went away with quite a lot of random new knowledge - for example, speaking of map making, I learned that paleolithic humans created maps before we even wrote! I also found out that part of the reason for Irish folk tales being one of the best sources of Celtic culture is because Ireland was never invaded by Romans unlike the rest of Europe.
- As part of the extensive research for Land, Maggie visited many of the Holy Wells or Tobar across Ireland (and even drank from a few of them too!).
- Maggie had a stammer as a child which she thinks made her a better writer, as it meant she was constantly having to play with tense and grammar and word choice from a young age to help avoid the hardest sounds.
- We were lucky enough to hear Maggie read for the first time from her upcoming novel, Land, and it was pure magic. I think there were collective goosebumps around the room. This novel is about trauma and it’s impact on not only people, but the Earth itself. I cannot wait to read it.
A quick note on Patrick Radden Keefe:
I am so glad I decided to go along to the session where journalist Jack Tame interviewed Patrick Radden Keefe. Patrick is an investigative journalist who works for the New York Times, but who is also well-known for his incredibly important and interesting books that crack open secrets and silence. I was immediately enamoured with his smooth voice and fascinating stories, and I can’t wait to read his back catalogue - especially Empire of Pain which helped bring about the downfall of the Sackler Dynasty and expose the corruption behind the Opioid epidemic in the USA (which has taken more American than every international war America has been involved in!). I highly recommend picking up his latest book, London Falling. It’s got me absolutely gripped so far in it’s unraveling of a young man who fell from a balcony in London, and the secrets behind his death. Patrick is a master in his craft, and a storyteller who is using his skills to bring things to light that he feels need to be seen and talked about.
Conclusion
If you haven’t booked any events yet for this weekend it’s not too late! There are plenty of events with spaces left (I grabbed tickets to Patrick a mere hour before his event!) but as well as that the free events that are on run all weekend. Turn up and let the literary magic lead the way.