Multimillion bestselling author, Sebastian Faulks, joins Simon and Matt for a chat about his brilliant new novel 'Farewell To Eden'.

They chat about the inspirations for the story - which are rooted in Sebastian's father's own experiences - and have a not-so-heated debate about Gilbert & Sullivan.

And after being prompted by a listener email - Simon also asks Sebastian about Homer's 'Odyssey' - and whether it is worth our time...

Here's a little more about 'Farewell To Eden':
Philip Deval, a soldier recently returned from the beaches of Normandy, arrives in Palestine on a peace-keeping mission in the final days of the British Mandate. The Sea of Galilee glitters in the distance as war-weary troops marvel at the novelty of oranges and sun – a paradise that belies a fierce new conflict about to erupt.

Some years later, Philip begins work teaching at a school in the English countryside and meets the enigmatic music mistress, Frances Darwood. Over long evenings spent listening to records in her music room, they grow close.

But Philip is a changed man, and must confront the secrets and scars of all he has lived through – which threaten, even now, to upend his future.

Journalist, broadcaster and author Jon Ronson joins Simon and Matt for a spot of Q&A.

We learn about the authors he loves reading, how he orders his bookshelves, other careers he wanted to pursue - and - who he'd invite to his fantasy dinner party!

Journalist and bestselling author, Jon Ronson, joins Simon and Matt for a chat about his brilliant new book 'The Castle'.

They discuss the manosphere, masculinity, performative male...and how the idea for this book came from his own son's story of being lured into a mysterious castle in the forest...

Here's a little more info on the book:

When Jon Ronson received a series of disquieting texts from his son Joel who’d been lured to a mysterious castle in the forests of New England late one night, it sets Ronson Sr. off on an adventure into an underworld of unmoored and disaffected men.

As Jon deepens his investigation into the castle and the wider ‘man crisis’ – where some are feeling tossed around in a sea of conflicting ideologies of what it means to be a man – urgent questions come to light. What exactly is ‘Princessing’? Why did a lawn care influencer dress as a baby in front of billions of online viewers, with catastrophic results? And more pressingly, why are two recently released murderers on their way to pay Jon a visit?

From the death of utopian factory towns to the false promise of YouTube influencer culture, Jon shows us our rapidly changing world like never before, and the men caught in the middle. A world drained of purpose, of collapsing institutions, where a new era of disinhibited behaviour has taken hold of our online and real-world selves. And as the castle mystery twists and turns into a cat-and-mouse story, will Jon be able to discover its terrifying secret hidden from the world?