Working at the heart of Russian power, the enigmatic Vadim Baranov – nicknamed the Wizard of the Kremlin – is Putin’s chief spin doctor. Using his background in experimental theatre and reality TV to turn the entire country into an avant-garde political stage, he’s discovered the lines between truth and lies, news and propaganda have become indistinguishable, and he wants out. Political scientist and prize-winning writer Giuliano da Empoli tells journalist Misha Glenny about his all-too-plausible novel The Wizard of the Kremlin, taking readers into the heart of the Kremlin, and how fiction can give us insights into real-world events and figures.