Sir Tony Robinson: Author talks imposter syndrome, first adult fiction work 'The House of Wolf'

Sir Tony Robinson is one of the world’s most recognisable history presenters.  After four career-defining series of British sitcom ‘Blackadder’, he fronted 20 seasons of the archaeological dig show ‘Time Team’.   His humorous hooks and accessible presentation has helped to demystify history and inspire passion in a whole new generation.   Robinson has written over 30 children’s books, ‘Maid Marian and Her Merry Men’, ‘The Worst Jobs in History’, and ‘Tony Robinson's Weird World of Wonders!’ just a few of the titles.   His latest work, ‘The House of Wolf’, is his first foray into fiction directed at an older audience, covering the Anglo-Saxons, Alfred the Great, and the making of England in the 9th century.  Writing for adults is quite different to writing for children, and Robinson said it scared him “rigid” when he first started.  “I had massive imposter syndrome”, he told Jack Tame.  “It's ridiculous, isn't it, like I've been on the stage for 60 odd years, and yet when it came to writing a book, terror gripped me.”  His subject matter is also a bit of a balancing act, as weaving historical fact with the narrative one wants to convey can sometimes be a challenge.  “I did go quite bonkers writing it,” Robinson told Tame.  Upon finishing the first draft, his publisher sent it off to reviewers, journalists, and some historical novelists – people Robinson respected.   “I was in even more terror,” he revealed.  “And then after six weeks, the writer Dan Jones, who wrote a stormingly popular historical novel called ‘Essex Dogs’, he wrote a review of it really, and it was so fulsome.  “Immediately, all that paranoia that I’d had dispelled completely.”   ‘The House of Wolf’ is now out, and fans will be able to see him live on stage in 2026 in ‘An Audience with Sir Tony Robinson’. He’ll be performing at Auckland’s Bruce Mason Centre on February 17th, and at Christchurch’s Isaac Theatre Royal on February 18th.   LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.