New Statesman and Academia Rossica present Spy Wars The Fiction behind the Truth 14 April, 7pm Spy wars…Britain and Russia are one of the best at them! Apart from literature, this is another great tradition both countries have in common. And recently spies and agents seem to be growing popularity. But how much do we know about spy wars? How much of what we know is true and how much is based on what we have read in novels? How much fiction has influenced the reality of espionage and vice versa? We invited experts to share their views and, perhaps,reveal some secrets: Boris Akunin, Russian detective novelist and author of a spy novel; Sergei Kostin who has written both fiction and non-fiction about espionage. Henry Porter, writer, civil liberties campaigner and spy novelist, Christopher Andrew, author of the authorized history of MI5 as well as of the controversial Mitrokhin Archive Bridget Kendall, BBC diplomatic correspondent will chair this discussion. Tickets are extremely limited and available on a strict first come first served basis. Prices: until Monday April 4th available at £12 for adults - £10 concessions (student / seniors). After 4th April tickets cost £15. Click here to book now to avoid disappointment. This event is part of an exciting programme of more than 100 events to be taking place in London and around the UK on 10-17 April,with 50 of Russia’s top authors. Across a whole range of genres, including poetry, Sci-fi, Fantasy, History and Literary Fiction, it really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to delve into Russian literature in the UK.  With such a diverse range of events, it can be hard to know where to start. So we’re bringing you mini-interviews with the top Russian writers heading to the UK. This week we’ve got an interview with Russia’s top spy expert Segei Kostin. A spy novelist, expert in the history of espionage, and documentary film maker, Kostin has thrilled many with his exciting, fast-paced action and complex and intricate plots. A hit movie based on Kostin’s book Bonjour Farewell and starring Emir Kusturica will be released in the UK on 20 April. And further adaptations are in the pipeline. We caught up with him (at a prearranged meeting point) where he passed on some of his secrets… How do you go about beginning to research one of your books? Do you start with a concept or an event you want to depict? I’ve never written a book thanks to a deliberate effort from my side, thinking “What plot would be entirely new?” or “What story will sell well?” Whether it came from inside or from the outside world, it is always spontaneous. An example. For my last book, “Death of a White Mouse”, I saw a 40 year old hippy or biker in Tallinn, Estonia, in a pub (my favorite place for relaxing after a hard day and for writing). He was not exactly a dwarf, but very short. A perfect character for a story. Later on, in the bathroom, he asked my cameraman (we were making a documentary) whether he was up for a quick sexual experience. And that was it. The rest – I mean the making up of a story – happened by itself, I just had to adjust the trajectory. Of course, there was a lot to invent and to construct, but the flow pushing me to write has never failed me. What makes a good spy novel character? It depends of the kind of spy novel. You have Ian Fleming with his James Bond and also John Le Carré with his George Smiley. My main character, Paco Arraya, is a could-be real man living in a real world. He goes through very exciting, sometimes vertiginous adventures – and that is the first part of my answer to your question. A big Russian TV producer once told me: “Your books have a huge disadvantage. Once you start to read, your agenda goes out the window”. But, on the other hand, what interests me in Paco Arraya – and it seems that my readers share that interest – is the way he’s dealing with all the constraints he comes across: he’s a Russian spy, with Spanish and Russian background, pretending being Cuban. He is also a very successful businessman and a respectable American citizen, married to an American woman who knows nothing about his true origins and his true job, living in the United States for decades, during which time his motherland had completely changed, and so on. What makes him carry on being a spy? And how does he manage it with this conscious schizophrenia that is the very essence of his life? How do you maintain suspense in your work? Once again, it’s not always a conscious effort from my side; I don’t think “How can I thrill my readers? It’s about time: the last murder was fifteen pages ago”. No, it is enough to put your character in a situation when his chances to disentangle himself are trifling and with several active forces trying to get the upper hand, and the suspense comes in by itself. The excitement you are experiencing when writing is a good sign: if your hands are shaking because you don’t know what will come next, you are on the right track. Will you be doing any research for future novels during your stay in London? Yes and no. I’m never thinking, “Since I’m going to London, it will be the scene of my next novel”. But at the same time, while travelling – and I travel a lot – I’m often thinking: “Oh, what a terrific location!” - for a book or for a documentary. Then I meet somebody who strikes me, like this shorty biker in Tallinn. And when this first impulse is strong enough, it sets in motion an entire activity that I can’t describe in any other way but feverish. I begin to keep museum and train tickets, to take pictures of places, timetables, shop windows, to imagine myself in Paco Arraya’s skin everywhere I go, trying to guess what he’s doing here and why, taking a lot of notes of all kinds. I’m unable to describe a scene going on in a place I haven’t seen myself or with people and objects I know thanks to Wikipedia. To feel free to fill a story with things I’m making up, I need a real framework, with atmosphere, smells, strange or funny details: something a picture or a postcard simply can’t convey. I have to live at least a big part of my story on the spot before being ready to sit down and open my notebook. For the full information on all the events happening around the country see our website.   Russia Beyond the Headlines offers original, on-the-ground coverage of modern Russia from professional, independent journalists and experts who are passionate and knowledgeable about the country. 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