In Northern Ireland, from the late 70s to the early 90s, the IRA killed over 40 alleged informers.

But the man who often found, tortured and sometimes killed these people on behalf of the IRA

was himself an informer, a secret British army agent with the codename Stakeknife.

Who gets to play God? And why me? Why my family? When lies are still being told to this day,

who do you believe? I wouldn't even know where to start and I'm with the IRA.

Steakknife. Listen first on BBC Sounds. BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts.

Hello and welcome.

I hope that after last week, many of you have been inspired to diffuse the stress of being cooped up

by responding to our challenge to reread.

We'll be sharing some choices and some new titles later in the program.

But first, today, pestilence remains on the menu as we head back to 16th century

England when the plague ravaged the nation plunging the population into fear and isolation,

while a little-known William Shakespeare was carving out a name for himself in theatre land.

Maggie O'Farrell's latest novel reimagines the short life of Shakespeare's

only son, the eponymous Hamnet, who died aged 11, while bringing to life his wife Anne Hathaway,

Hamnet's twin Judith, and other members of his family who've been obscured by the playwright's success.

O'Farrell has spent her career honing in on the moments that define our lives,

from her debut after you'd gone, to her Costa winning, the hand that first held mine,

and grief has been a constant feature.

It may appear timely that a story about illness and loss reaches us in the middle of a similar

crisis, but no one could have predicted the world Hamnet is being published into.

Erfarrell's latest is without doubt one of the most profoundly affecting novels I've read in ages.

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