JAMES HENEAGE has been fascinated by history from an early age, in particular the rise and fall of empires. He founded the Ottakar’s chain of bookshops, which grew to 150 branches before being bought by Waterstones. After Ottakar’s, he chaired the Cheltenham Literary Festival before setting up his own festival dedicated to history with author James Holland. The Chalke Valley History Festival is now in its 9th year, drawing audiences of around 30,000 people. He is also the author of four bestselling historical novels set in Byzantium.
