“What happens when we die?
Does the light just go out and that’s that – the million-year nap? Or will some part of my personality, my me-ness, persist? What will that feel like? What will I do all day? Is there a place to plug in my laptop?”

The bestselling author of Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers now trains her considerable humour and curiosity on the human soul, seeking answers from a varied and fascinating crew of contemporary and historical soul-searchers: scientists, schemers, engineers, mediums, all trying to prove (or disprove) that life goes on after we die.

Electromagnetic hauntings, out-of-body experiences, ghosts and lawsuits: Mary Roach sifts and weighs the evidence in her hilarious, inimitable style. Tonight Mary will be in conversationaward winning journalist, Jon Ronson. It’s a pleasure to welcome Jon back to the Academy.

Mary Roach is a journalist who has contributed to GQ, Vogue and New York Times Magazine and is contributing editor for the science magazine Discover. All of her books have been huge bestsellers in America. She lives in San Francisco.

Jon Ronson is an author, journalist and documentary film maker. His books, Them: Adventures With Extremists and The Men Who Stare At Goats, were bestsellers. His latest book – a collection of his Guardian journalism – is called Out Of The Ordinary: True Tales Of Everyday Craziness. For Channel 4, Jon has made a dozen films, including the acclaimed series the Secret Rulers of the World and the multi award-winning Tottenham Ayatollah. In the UK, Jon writes features and column for The Guardian, and presents the Sony nominated BBC Radio 4 series Jon Ronson On… In the US he frequently contributes to National Public Radio’s This American Life.

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