I like to change things up! I spent my 20s as a banker and my 30s bringing up small children and running my own fashion brand (Madderson London). Now, aged 43, I find myself writing, and I wonder why I didn’t do it sooner. I’ve always loved writing. My daughter Tilly has an old notebook of mine filled with half-finished stories and accompanying drawings. I’ve read for as long as I can remember, guzzling up books so quickly that my mum always protested that I couldn’t be reading them properly. You can see my original, dog-eared version of A Little Princess in my photo. Its protagonist, Sara Crewe, is one of my all-time favourite heroines (alongside Anne Shirley, naturally). I published my first book, Metamorphosis, in February 2020, right before lockdown happened. It’s a non-fiction book about escaping from our cocoons and living as a butterfly. As lockdown progressed, I found escapism in devouring lots of delicious chick-lit (for want of a better title) and I realised I had a few novels in me too. I have loved every single minute of writing them. I’ve published my books independently, and I love the freedom it provides. The world of independent publishing is fascinating and so empowering—I’m delighted to share more of my experiences of self-publishing if you’re interested.