On a winter's night in 1974, a crime took place that would obsess the nation.

It was an extraordinary news story.

The story of an aristocrat, Lord Lucan, who's said to have killed the family Nanny,

mistaking her for his wife, then somehow just disappeared.

One of the great mysteries in English criminal history. We're still looking for

Lucan. It's honestly one of the most powerful stories of my lifetime. I'm Alex Fontunzelman. This is

the Lucan Obsession. Listen on BBC Sounds. BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts. Welcome to Open Book, where this week we're getting into the inevitably divisive question,

just who are the best young British novelists writing today?

Once every decade, Granta magazine kicks off this debate,

creating a list which is renowned for anointing the likes of Ian McEwen,

Salman Rushdie and Zadie Smith, early in their illustrious careers.

But today, at a time when all the terms, best, young, British and even novelist, are more subjective than ever,

what does a list like this really mean?

Later, I'll be talking to two esteemed critics as well as Sophie

McIntosh, one of the 20 authors celebrated this year. But first, Sigrid Rousing, publisher

and editor at Granta told me what it was like chairing the judges panel. You know, I think

we all had a slightly different perspective on what kind of writing excited us.

And there was this time around less consensus than in other panels.

And I think that was quite an exciting thing, actually.

It was interesting because we live in an era of great consensus.

We live in an era where we value consensus.

And I would say that, you know, the robust discussion we had in this panel was maybe in an

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