To celebrate History Writing Month in Edinburgh, we have gathered together some of the most interesting and respected writers of historical ficiton today to present a thought-provoking series of events. The periods covered range from 11th to 20th centuries. Together, they not only reflect how ficition can reveal the realities of history and help us understand the present, but also represent an interesting variety of approaches to writing historical fiction.

In Spies, Traitors and Secret Conspirators: A question of loyalty; Historical novelists, Andrew Willliams, William Ryan and Edward Wilson discuss the shadow world of spies and secret policemen from World War I to Vietnam.