Historical novelist Philippa Gregory, historians Susan Doran and Nandini Das, and literary scholar and author Adam Roberts join Matthew Sweet at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry to discuss the enduring appeal of Tudor history and the role that historical fiction plays in shaping our view of history. Plus the connection between Sir Walter Scott and nearby Kenilworth Castle. Part of the BBC Contains Strong Language festival.

Elizabeth and Mary: Royal Cousins, Rival Queens opens at the British Library opens 8 October 2021–20 February 2022. Professor Susan Doran has edited the exhibition catalogue and will be giving an online talk on October 13th called Too Close to Her Throne: The Other Cousins Kenilworth Castle and Garden are run by English Heritage https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/kenilworth-castle/ Walter Scott (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832) wrote many historical novels including Kenilworth - his account of Queen Elizabeth, the Earl of Leicester and the murder of his wife Amy Robsart which was published 13 January 1821. Philippa Gregory's novels include The Other Boleyn Girl, The King's Curse and her current Fairmile Series. She is a fellow of the Universities of Sussex and Cardiff and an honorary research fellow at Birkbeck University of London. Adam Roberts teaches at Royal Holloway, University of London and Nandini Das teaches at the University of Oxford. She is a BBC/ARHC New Generation Thinker.

You can find a Free Thinking discussion about Waverly available to download as an Arts & Ideas podcast from the Free Thinking programme website https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04dr39q There is also a discussion about how we used to feel in the past and the idea of emotional history which hears from author and historian Tracy Borman https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0003zp2

Producer: Torquil MacLeod