It has been the craziest day. The book is finding its way into the contributors' hands, and it is arriving in packages and courier vans and post boxes, and it has been arriving since yesterday, and it will keep arriving on Monday. Twenty-four people gave something of themselves to these pages and my phone has not stopped since breakfast.

There is one contributor who should have had her name on the front cover. She would tell you so herself. Her name is Saffron, she is 15, and she is my daughter.

Nearly every illustration in this book is hers. Close to 50 of them. She would also tell you, with feeling, that she was forced. Forced, I tell you, forced, to do them in four days. The reality is that she had five months.

Here is how it actually happened.

She wanted to do it. That part was never in question. Saffy is autistic and ADHD, and in our house wanting to do a thing and being able to start it are two different countries with a long border between them. Getting her started was like pulling teeth. Weeks went by. Then months. The deadline that had been a soft shape somewhere on the horizon turned into something with edges, and the pressure was on. Mostly on me.

Around the same time Saffron had decided her bedroom needed things. A standing desk she could draw at. A set of drawers deep enough to hold every pen, marker and sheet of paper she owns, so she could organise it all the way she wanted. So we did a deal. Every drawing had a value, and the value was convertible.

What followed were four of the funniest days of this entire project. She did every single drawing in bed. Door closed. No one allowed in, under any circumstances, and I mean no one. Each finished illustration was airdropped to me from her bedroom to wherever I was in the house, and each time one landed I sent a text message back down the hallway with a running total. What she had earned so far. What that now covered. How close the desk was. How close the drawers were.

I have never seen her, in her own words, lock in like she did. We still laugh about it. Most days I cannot get her to unstack the dishwasher. In four days she produced close to 50 illustrations, and they are now sitting on the pages of a book that is landing on kitchen tables all over the country as I write this.

To say I am proud is an understatement. To say I am emotional is an understatement. To say I see great things for her is an understatement. It is such a privilege. It is such a privilege to have a little bit of her soul, a little bit of her creativity, a little bit of just her magic, on these pages.

Plenty of you know Saffron's story already. For those who don't, I will share it in pictures rather than words, because that is how she tells it best.

Now that the book is making its way out into the world, Saffron has started thinking about how her art might do the same. She is clear-eyed about it. Breaking into a career in art is no small feat in this crazy world and she knows that. But I know you will be cheering her along, just as I am.

We can't wait to do another collaboration, this time with Saffron's drawings from the book on things you can hold. Tea towels. Gift cards. Wrapping paper. If you are a stockist who might like to carry them, we would love to know.

For now the bedroom door is still closed, and I am still on the other side of it with my phone in my hand, waiting to see what comes out next.

As always, thank you so much for following along.
Natasha xx