The Chatter Podcast: Spies and Art Forgers with Daniel Silva

David Priess
Thursday, July 21, 2022, 9:07 AM

Shane Harris sat down with Daniel Silva to discuss Silva's career, his writing process, and how he created the Gabriel Allon spy series.

Published by The Lawfare Institute
in Cooperation With
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This week, Shane Harris talks with international best-selling novelist Daniel Silva, the creator of the long-running Gabriel Allon series. His latest installment in the adventures of the spy/art restorer is out now.

Before he became a full-time fiction writer, Silva was a journalist. He produced successful shows at CNN and was a reporter overseas. Those early experiences informed his current career. Silva is known for crafting stories with a meticulous eye to factual detail.

In this wide-ranging discussion, Silva talks about his decision to leave journalism and make writing novels his full-time job; his writing process; how he created the beloved spy Allon; and why Silva has decided to make Washington, DC, his home. He also gives us a preview of his latest book and explains how a long-running fascination with art forgery sent his hero on one of his most challenging missions yet.

Chatter is a production of Lawfare and Goat Rodeo. This episode was produced and edited by Cara Shillenn of Goat Rodeo with engineering assistance from Ian Enright.

Podcast theme by David Priess, featuring music created using Groovepad.

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Daniel Silva’s latest novel, Portrait of an Unknown Woman

The complete list of Silva’s books

Silva on Twitter


David Priess is Director of Intelligence at Bedrock Learning, Inc. and a Senior Fellow at the Michael V. Hayden Center for Intelligence, Policy, and International Security. He served during the Clinton and Bush 43 administrations as a CIA officer and has written two books: “The President’s Book of Secrets,” about the top-secret President’s Daily Brief, and "How To Get Rid of a President," describing the ways American presidents have left office.

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