Three best-selling authors with collective sales of over a million copies, examine why WW1 and WW2 continue to provide such endlessly fascinating material. Ranging from the occupation of the Channel Islands to the Special Operations Executive and the Blitz, this lively discussion, compered by writer Libby Morgan, will ask why readers eagerly consume novels set during these challenging periods of hardship and resilience.

Gill Thompson realised her dream in 2019 when her first novel, ‘The Oceans Between Us’ about a little boy and his mother separated by war and by continents, was published by Headline. She has since written another three historical fiction novels set in and around World War Two, all inspired by real life events.

Louise Morrish’s dream of seeing her own book on a shelf came true when her debut novel, Operation Moonlight, won the Penguin Random House First Novel competition in 2019. Her novel was published in 2022, and she is now represented by literary agent LBA Books. Louise is passionate about women’s history. She loves nothing more than discovering the stories of ordinary women in the past who achieved extraordinary things, but whom history has forgotten. She is currently working on a new novel, inspired by two female doctors who were medical pioneers in the First World War. When she isn’t writing, Louise can usually be found running, albeit slowly, in the countryside.

Suzanne Goldring’s bestselling novels have sold worldwide and been translated into Russian, German, Italian, Rumanian, Albanian, Swedish, Norwegian and Danish. All of Suzanne’s novels combine a present day narrative with First and Second World War history, to tell of secrets that surprise and intrigue lovers of vivid and remarkable fiction. Her seventh novel, THE GIRL WHO NEVER CAME BACK, published in August 2023 and explores the conscience of an SOE recruitment officer.