Burial Rites

Burial Rites (2013) is a novel by Australian author Hannah Kent, based on a true story.

Background
Kent was inspired to write Burial Rites during her time as an exchange student in Iceland when she was 17, where she learnt the story of Agnes Magnúsdóttir. She then made it the topic of her honours degree thesis and PhD at Flinders University, with additional mentoring by Geraldine Brooks. After this, Kent was awarded the Writing Australia Unpublished Manuscript Award in 2011.

Plot summary
Burial Rites tells the story of Agnes Magnúsdóttir, a servant in northern Iceland who was condemned to death after the murder of two men, one of whom was her employer, and became the last woman put to death in Iceland.

Reviews

 * The Guardian
 * Sydney Review of Books

Interviews

 * The Australian - "Hannah Kent's debut novel Burial Rites is written in cold blood" by Stephen Romei

Awards and nominations

 * 2011 inaugural winner Writing Australia Unpublished Manuscript Award
 * 2013 shortlisted 'The Nib': CAL Waverley Library Award for Literature
 * 2013 shortlisted Guardian First Book Award
 * 2013 winner 'The Nib': CAL Waverley Library Award for Literature — The Alex Buzo Shortlist Prize
 * 2014 shortlisted Victorian Premier's Literary Awards — Fiction
 * 2014 winner Victorian Premier's Literary Awards — People's Choice Award
 * 2014 winner Indie Awards — Debut Fiction
 * 2014 shortlisted Stella Prize
 * 2014 shortlisted ASAL Awards — ALS Gold Medal
 * 2014 shortlisted Women's Prize for Fiction (UK)
 * 2014 winner Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) — Australian Literary Fiction Book of the Year
 * 2014 winner Nielsen BookData Booksellers Choice Award — Australian Booksellers Association
 * 2014 winner Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) — Booktopia People's Choice Award
 * 2014 shortlisted Davitt Award — Best Adult Crime Novel
 * 2014 winner Davitt Award — Best Debut Crime Novel
 * 2014 winner Davitt Award — Readers' Choice Award
 * 2014 shortlisted National Book Awards (UK) — International Author of the Year
 * 2014 shortlisted Voss Literary Prize
 * 2015 shortlisted International Dublin Literary Award

Film
In 2017, it was announced that Luca Guadagnino will direct a film adaptation starring Jennifer Lawrence.