Event 12 Wednesday 10 March, 5.30pmAl Ras 2Teacher turned bestselling writer Conn Iggulden credits his Irish mother, who explained history to him as a series of exciting stories, together with an early diet of Flashman, Jack Aubrey and Sharpe, as having kindled his interest in historical fiction.  His own career took off in 2003 with The Gates of Rome, the first in his Emperor series following the life of Julius Caesar. His new series, based on Genghis Khan, leaped straight into the bestseller lists and Conn achieved the unprecedented feat of topping both the Fiction and Non-Fiction Bestseller charts in the same week with Wolf of the Plains and The Dangerous Book for Boys (the book he wrote with his brother).
Historical fiction remains one of the most enduring and popular genres but it’s a fiercely competitive market as writers jostle for publishers’ attention, booksellers’ shelf-space and readers’ time. Last year Philippa Gregory captivated festival-goers with her revelations about the Tudors and the Plantaganets. This year, as a worthy successor, Conn takes us to different continents and further back in time to demonstrate his passionately held view that the best stories often do come from history.

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