“Solitude is as important to me now as food. I’m (fairly) sociable, and have close friends I wouldn’t be without, but I don’t feel like I did when young. Then I felt that I was like a fridge: the lights only came on when the door was opened. I knew who I was when surrounded by friends; alone, I felt I was a blank. Now, I feel most myself when alone. And in a good way. It was worth waiting for.”

Nigella Lawson