There would be a day in the Christmas holidays, usually around the 28th December, when we would have to face the thank you letters. The inevitable comedown from the giddiness of present-opening a few days earlier. I was the youngest and therefore got the usual level of leeway in the early years, where essentially drawing a picture would suffice. Alas, my memories begin in an era of Berol handwriting pens and the dawning realisation that this was basically my first proper deadline.

Writing thank you letters was not fun, but it did instil in us the importance of doing it that, three decades later, I still can’t shake. Three years ago, when Rootbound was gearing up for release (if you’ve not read it, it’s in paperback now), it therefore made - to me, at least - to write thank you notes to those good eggs who pre-ordered it. In the dwindling light of autumn-winter, I’d sit at the same desk I wrote the book at and write notes to kind strangers, some as far-flung as Australia and Connecticut.

In hindsight, this does seem a little overzealous - I was definitely trying to fill the weird gaping hole that appears as part of the strange grief that comes with finishing a book - but #noughticulturenotes became a means of understanding that my readers were real people, and I enjoyed that greatly.

Anyway, long story short: we’re bringing them back for Why Women Grow! It’s also an opportunity to get hold of the awesome proof cover design that has been landing on people’s doorsteps, but otherwise won’t exist once the hardback comes to life. Plus a chance for me to justify another trip to Choosing Keeping for ink cartridges.

This time my publisher has sagely stepped in to navigate the admin, but it works like this:

1. Pre-order Why Women Grow (Waterstones, Amazon, WH Smith, Bookshop.org or your local indie). If you’ve pre-ordered it already, THANK YOU - please dig out your receipt.

2. Email proof of purchase with your address and who you want the note to be addressed to, to campaigns@canongate.co.uk with “noughticulture notes” in the subject header, by December 2.

3. Wait for post! We’ll make sure it reaches you by Christmas.

Right, other good things this week:...