Mariella Frostrup talks to Adam Sisman about his new biography of thriller writer John le Carre, creator of the bestselling Smiley novels and many more. This comprehensive life story has been written with le Carre's co-operation and access to his archive and reveals the author's troubled childhood, conman father and the way those beginnings influenced his novels.

Also on the programme, Mariella talks to Josh Spero who has tracked the previous owners of all his Classic textbooks; one editor recommends a great read from a rival publisher and Tahmima Anam and Aleksandar Hemon talk about the literature of migration as they publish moving stories in a collection which explores the notion of 'arrival'. Show less