Maggie O’Farrell’s Shakespearean ‘Hamnet’ wins Women’s Prize

LONDON (AP) — Maggie O’Farrell has won the Women’s Prize for Fiction for “Hamnet,” a novel that explores the lives of William Shakespeare’s often-maligned wife and lost son. O’Farrell beat finalists including Hilary Mantel and Bernardine Evaristo to the 30,000 pound ($39,000) award. O’Farrell said she has long been fascinated by Hamnet Shakespeare, who died aged 11 in 1596 — likely from the plague. His name is echoed in the playwright’s