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Historical novelist Philippa Gregory, historians Susan Doran and Nandini Das, and literary scholar Adam Roberts recorded with Matthew Sweet at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry as part of the Ö÷²¥´óÐã Contains Strong Language festival. Their conversation begins a Tudor week on Free Thinking - looking at 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.

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 Ö÷²¥´óÐã/ARHC New Generation Thinker.

Professor Susan Doran edited the exhibition catalogue for Elizabeth and Mary: Royal Cousins, Rival Queens staged by the British Library.

You can find a Free Thinking discussion about Waverly available to download as an Arts & Ideas podcast from the Free Thinking programme website /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 /programmes/m0003zp2

Producer: Torquil MacLeod