Dear Reader

The very way that fiction works – the process of conflict and resolution at the heart of every story – means that novels are full of people encountering challenging situations and, usually, surviving them. Books are a masterclass in how to carry on.

There wasn’t a specific book that helped me survive that time; it was more the act of reading itself that became a life raft, allowing me to stay afloat and keep my head above the water. Often people can be a bit snooty at the idea of books as a form of escapism, but I believe this is one of the great powers of literature: to comfort, to console, to allow a tiny oasis of – not exactly pleasure, but perhaps we could think of it as respite, when we feel we might otherwise drown in a sea of pain.

A Tale for the Time Being

The Diary of a Nobody

Life is pain, and we all need to laugh.’

This is what I have always done. When the bite of real life is too brutal, I retreat into made-up worlds and tread well-worn paths. I don’t crave the new when I feel like this, but look for solace in the familiar. It is as though in re-encountering my most-loved fictional characters, I can also reconnect with my previous selves and come out feeling less fragmented. Reading built me and always has the power to put me back together again.

My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humour, and some style.’