A captivating non-fiction book, which drew my attention on Twitter long before it hit the bookstores. Written by Kate Strasdin, a dress historian at Falmouth University, and subtitled ‘Secrets from a Victorian Woman’s Wardrobe’, it traces the history of Mrs Anne Sykes, the mid-19th-century daughter of a mill owner, through the medium of her silk-covered dress diary, filled with hundreds of fabric swatches.

I’ve been researching my great aunt, C M Theobald, who in 1915 published a novel called Lena Hale (George Allen & Unwin). I was delighted to discover that the Archive of British Publishing and Printing, housed at the University of Reading, contained around 20 letters between her and the publishing house and I was able to visit and see them.

Ever since I read ‘The Secret Scripture’ and ‘Days Without End’ by Irish writer and Costa Book of the Year winner Sebastian Barry, I’ve been hooked by his masterful fusion of poetic language and brilliant storytelling. So, I’ve been eagerly awaiting the publication of ‘Old God’s Time’ (Faber & Faber), and it didn’t disappoint.