Sam Brigger

And when his books came out, it was an event.

Like, everyone read his books.

I remember them sitting on my parents' bedside table.

And your father was...

One of the most famous, if not the most famous writers of his time.

He was a celebrity as a writer, but he was also considered a serious novelist.

What was it like to be his son at that time?

What was your home like?

Why did you decide to use a pen name?

I mean, I think you probably could have gotten away with being Nick Cornwell since you wouldn't have been associated with your father because, well, perhaps you would have been, but he was more known as a novelist as John le Carré.

Why Harkaway?

Because it does kind of rhyme with le carre, doesn't it?

No.

So, Nick, your paternal grandfather, Ronnie, it's known that he was a con man.

He did time for fraud.

At one point, he was an arms dealer.

Your father would have periods of life with him where they would be living the high life and then other times when they had to hide from creditors.

And your father seems to have wrestled with this relationship his whole life.

Like my favorite chapter of his memoir, The Pigeon Tunnel.

It's all about his father and his novel, A Perfect Spy, considered one of his best, is also a way where he's wrestling with his dad.