Antonia Fraser’s practice of keeping a diary might never have come in handy for her scholarly biographies of Mary Queen of Scots, Oliver Cromwell or Marie Antoinette.

But when she turned the spotlight on herself - as she has elected to do in recent years - it’s a different story.

Her first personal memoir was an account of her life with second husband Harold Pinter: the second was the subject of an author talk in the Brighton Pavilion Music Room on Thursday evening.

Entitled My History – A Memoir Of Growing Up her new book chronicles a childhood in north Oxford in the pre-war years into an academic family of distinction and political brilliance.

Antonia was fascinated by her father’s role in the post-war Labour administration - “Dada will remove want” she wrote, aged nine.

She was brilliantly interviewed by historical novelist Kate Mosse and both writers discussed the love of history which inspires them, albeit in slightly different direction.

Looking back is a privilege of age and Antonia Fraser has more to look back at than many.

She explained that in order to catch her readers, her subjects must always catch her – there seems little doubt that her own story will catch most.