James Bond and Jason Bourne move over – a real spy talks about his workday

He jumped off a plane, exchanged the notorious briefcase on a park bench and got his identity blown by an asset under torture. Sounds like fiction? But the real stories still differ remarkably from novels and films. A discussion about the realities of espionage and the stories that surround it - filled with intrigue and hidden truths for your ears only. 

Spies, Lies and Secretes was recorded live at the 2025 Sydney Writers’ Festival at Carriageworks. 

Speakers

Ben MacintyreBestselling author of books including The Siege, Colditz, Agent Sonya, SAS: Rogue Heroes, The Spy and the Traitor, Agent Zigzag, Operation Mincemeat and A Spy Among Friends 

Jack Beaumont (pseudonym)Former operative of the French foreign secret service, the DGSE, Author of The Frenchman and Dark Arena  

Matthew Condon (host)Prize-winning Australian novelist and journalist