Francis Spufford On Why Fantasy Makes History Feel More Real

from Confessions of a Book Collector · host Goldsboro Books

This week on Confessions of a Book Collector, we’re joined by the brilliant Francis Spufford to talk about his genre-bending new novel set in Blitz-era London.Blending history with fantasy, Francis explores a city under pressure, where bombs fall, angels appear, and time-travelling fascists threaten the fragile course of history. At the heart of it all is Iris, a fiercely ambitious and refreshingly modern heroine navigating a world in flux.We dive into why the Blitz remains such a powerful setting, how small moments can shape the fate of history, and why writing fantasy can sometimes reveal deeper truths than realism. Francis also shares his journey from non-fiction to fiction, his love of story-driven writing, and the literary influences that shaped him, from C. S. Lewis to J. R. R. Tolkien.

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This episode is 23 minutes long.

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This episode was published on March 28, 2026.

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