Between the secret state and the public sphere: the writer as intermediary

Abstract

This essay explores the unique roles played by writers as intermediaries between the secret state and the public sphere, providing an introduction to the special issue Writers in Intelligence. Though frequently remarked upon, the history, nature, and politics of this relationship remains under-studied. Some spies-turned-writers write in the hope of legitimizing a problematic role, others to own their own identities in a police state. For some, writing is an avenue for critique of a toxic security culture, while others have lent their skills to intelligence agencies as a form of patriotic duty. We examine how fictional representations of intelligence work have been both a boon and a hindrance to various secret services; and how exposing elements of intelligence work can occasionally lead to conspiracy rather than clarity.