The Reith Lectures Can These Bones Live?
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Jul 4, 2017 Bestselling author Hilary Mantel shares her insights on bringing history alive through fiction, emphasizing the delicate dance between factual accuracy and imaginative storytelling. She reflects on the challenges of 'resurrection' in historical fiction, particularly how to balance narrative instinct with historical truth. Mantel critiques popular narratives while exploring the empathy required to understand historical figures. Her observations on the emotional ties between history and modern identity invite listeners to reconsider the past's relevance to contemporary issues.
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Resurrecting the Past
- Historical fiction's task is to bring the past to life by relocating it in a body.
- The novelist balances fact and invention, making choices invisible to the reader.
Deep Research
- Know ten times more than you tell, and research shouldn't be an afterthought.
- Immerse yourself in the era, exploring culture beyond political history.
Exposition
- Avoid clunky exposition; show, don't tell.
- Introduce strangers or stupid characters to ask reader's questions.