Stephanie Merritt was deputy literary editor of The Observer from 1998-2005 and is now a feature writer. She has contributed to a variety of newspapers and magazines as well as radio and television. She is the author of two novels, Gaveston (Faber, 2002) and Real (Faber, 2005), one non-fiction, The Devil Within, (Vermilion 2008) and the screenplay for Real, commissioned by Gabriel Byrne's Plurabelle Films. She also previously curated the Talks and Debates programme at Soho Theatre. Stephanie's latest book, written under the pseudonym S.J. Parris is Heresy, a historical murder mystery starring heretic astronomer Giordano Bruno.

First broadcast on 12th March 2010.