Hamnet writer Maggie O'Farrell says Oscar nod 'very surreal'

The writer of Hamnet has described her Oscar nomination for the film's screenplay as "very surreal".

Maggie O'Farrell received the nod for Best Adapted Screenplay alongside the film's director Chloe Zhao.

She said the book "feels like [her] baby" and "the film is a real collaborative effort".

The film has received eight Oscar nominations - including best picture and best actress for County Kerry native Jessie Buckley, who plays Agnes.

Based on O'Farrell's award-winning novel of the same name, Hamnet is a fictional account of the lives of William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes.

It delves into how the death of their son could have influenced one of the writer's most enduring masterpieces, Hamlet.

O'Farrell, who is originally from Coleraine in Northern Ireland, said an Oscar nomination was "not something I ever thought would happen to me".

"It's very, very strange. It never even crossed my mind," she told BBC News NI.

The author said if she got a plus one to the ceremony, it would be "hotly contested" between her three children and husband.

"I think I'm going to let them fight it out," she joked.

O'Farrell said her phone had "exploded" with messages, mainly with questions around her outfit of choice for the red carpet.

"Someone's asked if I'll wear a Björk Swan dress, and I'm quite tempted, that would be a laugh," she added.

"I think my teenage daughters would never forgive me."

There had been high hopes for Irish actor Paul Mescal, who played Buckley's co-star in Hamnet, but he missed out in what the industry has dubbed "a snub".

O'Farrell had previously told the BBC that she had always seen Mescal as her Shakespeare.

However, it was a second Oscar nomination for frontrunner Buckley, who had previously been nominated for best supporting actress in the 2021 thriller, The Lost Daughter.

The 36-year-old picked up a Golden Globe earlier this month, which paved the way for a promising awards season in Hollywood.

Speaking about Buckley's nomination for the best actress gong, O'Farrell said she was delighted.

"I'm just so thrilled for her," she said.

"She just poured her heart and her soul and her bones into that role."

O'Farrell added: "She's just mesmerising. You cannot take your eyes off her on screen."

Buckley's mother Marina was asked if it was surreal to hear her daughter's name being read out on stage.

"Oh, it absolutely is," she told Irish broadcaster RTÉ.

"I've seen Hamnet several times and each time I just sit there I am in awe of the work, and I have to pinch myself and say that's my little girl up there."

She said she was "so proud" of her daughter "because this is the culmination of a lifetime, years and years of work".

"It's so wonderful that it's been recognised now. I am just really thrilled. What an achievement for all of them."

Hamnet boasts a strong Irish contingent in its cast, with O'Farrell describing the talent as "very strong".

"It was very exciting to see, but they were just the best people for the jobs."

The nominations for Hollywood's most coveted awards were announced by actors Danielle Brooks and Lewis Pullman at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills on Thursday.

Vampire horror film Sinners broke the record for the most Oscar nominations received by a single film with 16 nods, followed by thriller One Battle After Another, which picked up 13 nominations.