Marc Flanagan

Hailing from York, Marc Flanagan has been a fan of historical fiction since the age of fourteen. His love of Ancient Rome began with Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar in English class. The play was pivotal for him, especially as he pursued the performing arts. He memorised Mark Antony’s speech (‘Friends, Romans, Countrymen...’), which quickly became his go-to audition piece. It was then Marc realised that history wasn’t just dates; it was visceral human drama.

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Until his teenage years, he mostly read fantasy authors like Garth Nix and Philip Pullman. However, a birthday gift of Simon Scarrow’s Centurion changed everything. He bought the first book and was immediately hooked. From there, he moved on to Conn Iggulden’s Emperor series, followed by David Gemmell’s Troy. He naturally gravitated towards historical fiction, taking after his uncles. Especially Keith, whose floor-to-ceiling bookshelves were packed with history.

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These days, audiobooks are Marc's medium of choice, allowing him to absorb far more stories while balancing a busy schedule. Other favourites include Lindsey Davis, Harry Sidebottom, Anthony Riches, C.J. Sansom, S.J. Parris, Christian Cameron, and, last but not least, Ben Kane.

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Marc even had the privilege of accompanying Ben Kane on a ‘Spartacus Tour,’ following him around the streets of Pompeii, climbing Vesuvius, passing through Capua, and travelling down the Appian Way into Rome. It was an incredible trip with amazing people. He also loves film and television based on Roman times. His absolute favourite being HBO’s Rome for its authenticity and acting.