For as long as I can remember I’ve loved to read; books and the escapism and solace they provide are so important to me. I’ve got to live vicariously through so many characters and deposit my worries onto them and the imaginary settings they come from. I’ve seen people express a similar sentiment in regard to films and TV – there’s a relief that comes with entering a fictional world, especially when you know it’s waiting for you after a hard day.

In celebration of my birthday this year I wanted to raise money for the National Literacy Trust. Last year the charity put over 500,000 books into the hands of children who otherwise would have had no access. Several of the first books I fell in love with as a child were second-handed, gifted through school or borrowed from a library. It's very important to me that others are granted the same opportunity I was.