My guide in life is Older-Me. She's 70, 80, 90; she wears loud, fabulous clothes; she has wobbly bits and is gloriously cuddly and unashamedly proud of the body that's been with her through so much. She's fierce, she's fearless, she sings and dances a lot. Soft but strong. Wise. Rockin'. She is me!

(Visions of kids in a huge warehouse whipped into a sort-your-life-out frenzy, hurling onto the 'donate' pile book after book, along with clothes and toys and tools and crockery and that awful oil painting inherited from Aunt Hettie.)

Thanks, Tyler. Octavia Butler has been another favourite writer since I studied Kindred at university.

I love that your books are old and well read. More beautiful by far than shiny and new.