I love my music. It’s been a constant presence in my life and work, and whenever I can I have it playing as I write (I’m not one for silence). I write best in spaces where there are lots of people — cafés, co-working spaces, parks, libraries, even swimming pools. I love the energy of being around other people.

Most of this book was written between 2015 and 2017. I listened to a lot of different music in those years (and my musical choices reflect that time). So here (in no particular order) is my Project Book writing playlist. Looking back at it now, it’s a real mixed bag, yet each of these albums gave me a much-needed lift while I was putting the words together.

Leah Senior, Summer’s on the Ground

Oasis, Definitely Maybe

The Stone Roses, The Stone Roses

Holst, The Planets

Tchaikovsky, Ballet Suites

Edgar ‘Jones’ Jones, Soothing Music for Stray Dogs

The Smiths, every album!

Chet Baker, The Best of Chet Baker

Depeche Mode, Violator

The Tea Street Band, The Tea Street Band

Kraftwerk, Trans-Europe Express

Circa Waves, Young Chasers

The Wombats, Glitterbug

City Calm Down, In a Restless House

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Boatman’s Call

Brian Eno, Ambient 1: Music for Airports

Real Estate, Atlas

Daft Punk, Random Access Memories

London Grammar, If You Wait

John Williams, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope OST

The Open, The Silent Hours

Air, Moon Safari

Richard Hawley, Coles Corner

Brian Eno, Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks

Vivaldi, The Four Seasons

Birds of Tokyo, Anchor EP

Django Django, Born Under Saturn

Black, Wonderful Life

David Bowie, Hunky Dory

David Bowie, The Best of David Bowie 1980/1987

Ducktails, The Flower Lane

Electronic, Electronic

Todd Terje, It’s Album Time

Maurice Jarre, Dead Poets Society OST

The Loungs, Short Cuts

Tears for Fears, The Hurting

Holy Holy, When the Storms Would Come

The Rubens, Hoops

The Cure, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me

The Courteeners, Concrete Love

Morrissey, Vauxhall and I

Various, 50s Jazz Lounge

Various, La La Land OST

Frank Sinatra, Nothing But the Best

Real Estate, Days

The Smiths, Strangeways, Here We Come

Sufjan Stevens, Come On! Feel the Illinoise!

I Know Leopard, Another Life E.P.

DMA’s, Hills End

New Order, Substance 1987

Elbow, Little Fictions

Queen, Greatest Hits

The Libertines, The Libertines

The The, Dusk

Holy Holy, Paint

The The, Infected

Johnny Marr, The Messenger

Kraftwerk, The Man-Machine

The Beatles, Rubber Soul

Circa Waves, Different Creatures

Real Estate, In Mind

Methyl Ethel, Everything Is Forgotten

Kraftwerk, Autobahn