Neil Jordan talks to Matthew Sweet about his novel The Drowned Detective and the difference between writing fiction and making films. Olivia Laing and John Haldane explore loneliness and solitude in art, philosophy and religion. Rowan Moore on creating contemporary global cities that answer the needs of the people who live and work in them.

The Drowned Detective by Neil Jordan is published by Bloomsbury

The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone by Olivia Laing is published by Canongate

Slow Burn City: London in the 21st Century by Rowan Moore is published by Picador

Producer: Torquil MacLeod