Historical Novels in Historic Times

How do writers of historical fiction engage with the past when the present itself feels so pressing? In this conversation, award-winning Irish novelist Colm Tóibín and Ukrainian author Bohdan Kolomiychuk reflect on the art of the historical novel, its responsibility to memory and imagination, and its resonance in times of crisis and war.

The pair will discuss how fiction can illuminate untold or forgotten aspects of history, how literary imagination negotiates with facts, and why revisiting the past becomes even more urgent when societies are facing profound upheaval. The dialogue will bridge different traditions of historical writing – from European and Irish perspectives to Ukrainian contexts – and invite audiences to consider how stories of the past can help us make sense of the present and envision a new future.