EDINBURGH University will hold a “literary Spy Week” later this month, dedicated to the examination and celebration of espionage.
Screenings of classic spy films, talks by celebrated spy fiction writers and a discussion on the work of novelist Graham Greene – a former MI6 agent – are among the highlights.
The series of events run from Monday 18 May to Saturday 23 May.
Adaptions of Graham Greene’s classic espionage novels will be screened at the Edinburgh Filmhouse, with introductions from University academics.
One of Scotland’s leading novelists, James Robertson, will give a talk on Truth and Lies in Real and Imagined Scotland.
He will explore the themes of hidden agendas, double-lives and the deceits of power and authority in literature, and discuss writing fiction after the Lockerbie air disaster.
Scholars will also examine the place of secrecy in our social lives and the role of fiction during and after the Cold War.
People with a passion for writing can sign up for a Publish Your Own Spy Fiction workshop by best-selling writer Tim Stevens, the author of 14 espionage thrillers including Ratcatcher, Severance Kill and Omega Dog.
The week has been organised in partnership with the National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh Filmhouse, and Blackwell’s Bookshop.
