Author Maggie O'Farrell has disclosed the reasons behind her decision to decline an OBE. The 54-year-old writer, best known for her novel Hamnet, which was adapted into an Oscar-nominated film this year, spoke about her rejection in an interview with The Irish Times.
O'Farrell, who was born in Ireland and now lives in Edinburgh, said one of the 'seeds' for her forthcoming novel Land was the OBE offer. She explained two key reasons for turning it down: 'The first thing was that I didn't want “British Empire” as part of my name.'
Her second reason involved Victorian colonial administrator Charles Trevelyan, who was knighted after describing the Irish Famine as an act of God. O'Farrell stated: 'I said to myself, “Well, if Charles Trevelyan has it, I don't want it.”' She added that the honours system should be reconsidered given its colonial associations.
O'Farrell emphasised she bears no ill will towards those who accept such honours, but felt unable to accept for these reasons. She joins a list of notable figures who have refused British honours, including writers Roald Dahl and Benjamin Zephaniah, and actor Michael Sheen, who returned his award in 2020.
Her next book, Land, published on 2 June, is a multigenerational family epic set in 1865 Ireland, centred on the Great Ordnance Survey mapping project. It is her tenth novel.
