Tom Holland draws readers into the ancient world through historical narrative and translation, while podcast listeners know him as a lively guide to the past. A literary festival gives fans time with the writer behind those journeys, whether their curiosity begins with Rome, a classical author or a question raised while listening.
Quick facts
Best known for
Rubicon, ancient history and The Rest Is History
Genre or subject
History, classical translation and broadcasting
Latest book
The Lives of the Caesars, translated from Suetonius (2025; UK paperback 2026), Penguin Classics
Holland works as a historian, biographer, translator and broadcaster. His history of the Roman Republic won the Hessell-Tiltman Prize and was shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize; his account of the Graeco-Persian wars received the Anglo-Hellenic League’s Runciman Award. The books follow power, belief and cultural change across different parts of the past.
He has translated Herodotus for Penguin Classics and adapted classical authors for the BBC. He also co-presents The Rest Is History with Dominic Sandbrook. Those strands let readers approach an ancient world through a modern history, an older writer’s words or a spoken conversation.
His translation of Suetonius’s The Lives of the Caesars first appeared in 2025, with a UK paperback in March 2026. Suetonius is the author of the ancient work; Holland carries that voice into English for another generation of readers.
Where to start with their books
Rubicon
This history follows the last decades of the Roman Republic and the people caught in its struggles for power. Begin here if Rome is your main interest, with a narrative that leads towards the ending of one political order.
Persian Fire
Holland turns to the Graeco-Persian wars and the conflict between a great empire and the Greek world. Choose it for a different ancient setting, with the forces on both sides shaping the course of the history.
Dominion
This book follows Christianity’s influence on the Western world and the ways people think. It is a broader historical journey for readers curious about the afterlife of beliefs and assumptions beyond a single ancient war or dynasty.
Festival appearances
For tickets, use the host festival’s official box office. Confirm the date, venue and access details before paying.
Edinburgh’s The Front List: Tom Holland followed at McEwan Hall on 20 August. For someone who had come to his writing through a podcast, the visits offered a chance to hear the historian in a literary-festival setting. Readers arriving through a book could bring their interest in the story, the ancient world or the making of a translation.
Where to see them next
No 2027 appearances announced yet. Check the festival guides for programme dates.
Plan your trip
If you are going with another reader, compare what first drew each of you into ancient history: a person, a city or a question about power. One shared curiosity can give your post-event conversation a focus without either of you needing to have read the same shelf of books.
Leave room in a city visit for the event itself. Plan food before sitting down, check the route from the station and allow enough time afterwards to reach your train calmly. The guides below cover each festival base and overnight options for readers making a longer stay.
The 2026 programmes featured Tom Holland at Edinburgh International Book Festival; follow those guides for event information and practical visit details.
Is Holland the author of the Caesars book?
He is its translator; the ancient work is by Suetonius. Readers interested in Roman history can enjoy both that older voice and the question of how a translator brings it to a new audience.
Can I enjoy his events if I mainly know the podcast?
Use the festival links on Tom Holland’s profile for the event’s own ticket and audience guidance.
Which Holland history is a good starting point?
Pick the period or question that attracts you. The suggestions below offer the Roman Republic, the Graeco-Persian wars and the continuing influence of Christianity, so you can follow a clear interest into the reading.
How do I book a ticket to see Holland?
Use the organiser’s official box office for the session you want. Contact it directly about access support, and make sure any festival pass covers the conversation before booking a journey around it.
