About this episode

Jack Beaumont and Ben Macintyre discuss the realities of espionage and spy fiction.

Undercover agents aren’t just the stuff of stories for writers Jack Beaumont and Ben Macintyre. A French intelligence officer turned spy thriller writer, Jack ( Dark Arena ) has all the insider knowledge to craft true-to-life operations in his novels. Ben ( The Siege ) is an espionage expert and he’s written the definitive account of the siege that put the SAS on the world stage. Hear these two connoisseurs of the clandestine share the truth behind the spy stories that thrill us. With Michael Williams. This episode was recorded live in May at the 2025 Sydney Writers’ Festival. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and follow our channel. Sydney Writers’ Festival podcasts are available on all major podcast platforms.  After more? Follow Sydney Writers’ Festival on social media: Instagram: @sydwritersfest Facebook: @SydWritersFest TikTok: @sydwritersfest See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Host: Michael Williams

Guests: Jack Beaumont, Ben Macintyre

Topics covered

• espionage
• spy fiction
• intelligence
• writing
• literature

Keywords

• spies
• secrets
• intelligence
• spy stories
• writing

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Dark Arena, The Siege

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