“I have always regarded historical fiction and fantasy as sisters under the skin”, wrote George R. R. Martin. Comprehensive research, peerless prose and storylines that swallow us whole from the very first page – novels set in earlier times tell us much about who we are today, yet how much is truth and how much illusion? Can we ever truly write the past, or are tales of distant days just a fantasy? Bernadette Brennan leads extraordinary talents Thomas Keneally, Delia Falconer and Claire G Coleman in a standout festival session.