Let's make this birthday one to remember.

72 years old (Born on April 20, 1953)

Happy Birthday, Sebastian Faulks! May your celebrations be as captivating and timeless as the French landscapes you've painted so vividly in Birdsong, Charlotte Gray, and The Girl at the Lion d'Or. Your novels have transported us through history with elegance, drama—and occasionally a baguette or two.

Here's hoping this year brings you even more literary triumphs (and perhaps fewer late nights wrestling with historical accuracy). Keep charming readers worldwide; after all, nobody else makes wartime France seem quite so appealing. Cheers to another chapter filled with wit, wisdom, and plenty of joie de vivre—happy birthday!