I'm delighted to say that we're rounding off this month's Reading group discussion of Mary Renault's Alexander trilogy with a live Q&A with Tom Holland this Friday.

Holland is a writer of distinction. A novelist, translator of Herodotus and author of the excellent, as well as highly readable, histories Rubicon, Persian Fire and In The Shadow Of The Sword.

Persian Fire is of particular interest to anyone inspired by the Alexander trilogy. It tells a story that ends just before Renault's begins: of the foundation of the great Persian empire, of the failed invasion of Greece in the fifth-century BC and the set of circumstances that opened up Alexander the Great's route to world domination. If reading Mary Renault has provoked questions about Alexander's achievements and the world he was born into, this is an excellent place to start.

Meanwhile, like Mary Renault, Tom Holland has a gift of storytelling combined with a real talent for plausible speculation where the ancient historical record is sparse. Of course there are also crucial differences between his work as a historian and Renault's fictional inventions and it will be fascinating to hear from him about the most important distinctions.

Finally, although Mary Renault, Alexander and Persia are our main subjects of interest this month, I wouldn't want to limit the discussion too much. It's hard to resist diversifying when Tom Holland has so many interesting things to say about subjects as diverse as ancient Rome, the future of Scotland, and cricket. We're very lucky to have him.

Tom will be here from 1pm on Friday 29 August, but do feel free to get your questions in beforehand.