Historical fiction and ‘alternative facts’ … Mantel reveals all about retelling our past

The Wolf Hall author discusses the line between truth and fantasy

Hilary Mantel’s gripping account of life in the court of Henry VIII has transformed the art of historical fiction, combining exhaustive research with imagination to produce a vivid portrayal of the tyrannical king, his wives and courtiers that has won her two Man Booker prizes and inspired an award-winning television adaptation.

Now she is turning the skills she has developed in her writing to examine a much more modern theme – how fact and fiction can become confused to produce “alternative facts”.

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