Writing stories in history lessons? But we don’t do things like that in history do we? Strange bedfellows though history and fiction might seem, Dave Martin and Beth Brooke make a strong case for collaboration between the English and history departments in order to introduce students to the challenging task of writing their own realistic historical fiction. This is not about superficial ‘imagine you are’ type empathy writing. Instead, their approach stresses the importance of rigorous historical research and careful attention to style and genre. This helps students to write stories that both deepen and communicate knowledge and understanding of the past. This is empathy with edge.