Waterstones Book of the Year 2020 Winner
It is our enormous pleasure to reveal Maggie O'Farrell’s magnificent historical novel Hamnet as our Book of the Year 2020.
Indisputably Maggie O'Farrell's masterpiece, Hamnet recreates both a vibrant Elizabethan world and the short, tragic life of Shakespeare's only son in peerless, evocative prose. Passionately championed by our booksellers since its publication in March, this uniquely powerful meditation on love, family and loss demands to be read by all. Our special Waterstones edition is sumptuously designed with gold foil on cloth binding, stunning endpapers and an exclusive essay.
“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.”
Bea Carvalho, Waterstones Fiction Buyer
A Few Words from Maggie O’Farrell
The author of Hamnet accepts the Waterstones Book of the Year 2020 accolade, with some words of heartfelt thanks to our booksellers.
The Waterstones Book of the Year 2020 Shortlist
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