Philippa Gregory and Tracy Chevalier have defined the genre of historical fiction for decades. Both renowned for bringing to life women’s stories from the past and making them relevant to today’s reader, between them they’ve produced a multitude of global bestsellers including The Other Boleyn Girl and Girl with a Pearl Earring.

On September 18 they join Reeta Chakrabarti on the Intelligence Squared stage to transport us through time and place. They’ll explore the art of weaving history into compelling narratives, delving into the research that underpins their work and the challenges of crafting authentic voices from the past for those who have had no voice.

This will be one of the first events at which Tracy will discuss her spellbinding new novel The Glassmaker, a richly-drawn tale of artisan craftsmanship, female perseverance, and the beauty of Venice. Philippa will be talking about her ground-breaking study, Normal Woman, which takes women out of the footnotes and reassembles the history of women in England showing how their lives have changed over 900 years from 1066 to the present.

Join us at Kiln for a captivating evening of literature and historical storytelling.

Praise for The Glassmaker

‘A triumph… a brilliant idea carried out with confidence and brio and a deep love of an extraordinary city. The ingenuity of the time-skipping is beyond admiration’ Philip Pullman