O’Farrell’s “exceptional” award-winning novel captures a Jacobean England haunted by a plague that tragically kills Hamnet, the only son of William Shakespeare. In reimagining the complex relationship between Hamnet’s parents as the 11-year-old’s condition worsens, O’Farrell captures one of the greatest agonies imaginable to a parent. Women’s Prize judge Martha Lane Fox said of the novel, “It expresses something profound about the human experience that seems both extraordinarily current and at the same time, enduring.”

This event is part of our online Book Club series, in which The Guardian’s chief books writer, Lisa Allardice, talks to leading writers about their latest novels, creative process and isolation. They will also be answering your questions.

Running time: 60 minutes

If you live in the UK, you can purchase a ticket with a paperback copy of Hamnet at checkout for the special combined price of £13 including postage and packing (RRP £8.99).

This event will be hosted on a third-party live streaming platform BlueJeans, please refer to their privacy policy before purchasing a ticket to the event. After registering, you will receive a unique link in advance to access the event online.

If you require closed captions to be available on this event notify us on your booking form when making your purchase.

*Books will be dispatched on 1 April 2021. However, please note that in the current circumstances, some books may be delayed. If we experience any delay in getting your copy to you, we will contact you by email to let you know.

This event is being streamed globally.

7pm BST | 8pm CEST | 11am PDT | 2pm EDT

Or use this time zone converter to check your local live streaming time.

If you are unable to join at the time of streaming, this event will be available to watch on demand in the days following. A link to the recording will be sent to all ticket holders by email.