Special Relationships

Asa Briggs, one of the most distinguished historians of our time, has an amazing hinterland: as a Hut Six cryptographer at Bletchley Park, deciphering Enigma Machine messages, he worked alongside Alan Turing. His academic career encompassed the Vice-Chancellorship of the University of Sussex and prestigious posts elsewhere, including Oxford, Princeton and the O.U. His books include a monumental history of broadcasting in the U.K. His memoir, Special Relationships, recounts some life-shaping encounters. The internationally acclaimed, Booker prize-winning novelist, Ian McEwan, has a long-standing fascination with code-breaking and subterfuge. His play, The Imitation Game, dramatises these interests and his most recent novel, Solar, embraces both art and science. Expect a memorable meeting of minds.

Supported by University of Sussex