A co-founder and co-director of the annual Jaipur Literary Festival in India, William Dalrymple has an eye for history and an ability to make it come alive.

The British historian, writer and curator’s latest book, The Return of a King, The Battle for Afghanistan (2012) is testament to his talent for artfully recounting tales from humanity’s collective past with Barnaby Rogerson of The Independent newspaper describing the book thus:

“William Dalrymple is a master storyteller, who breathes such passion, vivacity and animation into the historical characters of the First Anglo-Afghan war of 1839-42 that at the end of this 567-page book you feel you have marched, fought, dined and plotted with them all …”

In our interview with Dalrymple we asked him about where his love of history originated, how he makes the dry old pages of history spring to life, and his advice for aspiring writers.

Interview by Danielle Williams, course manager of Australian Writers' Centre, at the 2013 Sydney Writers Festival.

www.WritersCentre.com.au