We don’t play favourites with our Festival writers. Honest. Yet every so often, a writer seems to be having a particular moment in the international book world – and it’s safe to say that Maggie O’Farrell is that writer, having that moment.

Last year marked O’Farrell’s 25th year of publishing, with celebrations honouring a quarter century of books including After You’d Gone, The Hand That First Held Mine, This Must Be the Place, I Am, I Am, I Am, Hamnet and The Marriage Portrait.

Meanwhile, the recent film adaptation of Hamnet directed by Chloé Zhao has earned eight Oscar nominations, including one for O’Farrell for the screenplay. And in early June, her major new novel Land will reach eager readers.

In this special conversation to help open AWF26, O’Farrell speaks to Michelle Langstone live from her home in Edinburgh about her extraordinary year, and all that led to it.