L-R: Geraldine Brooks, Pip Williams, Sally Colin-James, Kate Evans. (Jamie Williams for SWF)

In skilled hands, historical fiction brings the past to life in surprising ways. It also helps us make sense of our present, and even offers foreknowledge of the future. Hear from some of the country's finest writers of historical novels – Geraldine Brooks (Horse), Pip Williams (The Bookbinder of Jericho) and emerging talent Sally Colin-James (One Illumined Thread) – as they discuss the past as prologue and how they convincingly intertwine fact and fiction in their work. This panel event is hosted by ABC RN's The Bookshelf's Kate Evans.

Sally Colin-James talks to Cheryl Akle about the plane crash that changed her life and her research process for her novel 'One Illumined Thread'.

NIB Literary Award recognises the most compelling research-based Australian literature and is awarded to nominated published works of any genre that best fulfill the criteria of high literary merit, quality of research, readability and value to the community.

Ahead of a key panel at Byron Writers Festival 2023 with Anna Funder and Pip Williams, Northern Rivers author Sally Colin-James examines how a conscious awareness of linguistic diversity can open hearts, cultivate meaningful human connection and help expose power structures inherent in monolingual culture.

In this episode Georgia and Simone, who run the online video podcast 'The Hope Book Club', are joined by David Barker to present an in depth discussion and review of One Illumined Thread.