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In my view Auden is without equal among twentieth century poets. His is a profound voice, full of insight and wisdom. This is a handsome edition of his work.

Narayan was one of the very first Indian novelists writing in English to gain a substantial western following. His Malgudi novels provide a marvellous picture of the life of an Indian town and are full of humour and human yearning.

Brian Moore is a novelist who deserves a much larger public. This novel, his first, creates a vivid picture of the life of a timid Belfast spinster. It is very poignant.

This is a humorous classic that is largely ignored today but which is still as amusing as it was when it was first published. It has a classic first line, never since equalled.

Barbara Pym has been described as the Jane Austen of our times, and I would concur with this view. She created a whole world of people living rather mousy lives, illuminated with poignant detail. She is extremely funny in an understated way.

This is a gravely beautiful novel with an extraordinarily strong sense of place and time.

Michael Longley is a Northern Irish poet of immense distinction. His work is subtle and beautiful. Many of his lines are simply haunting.

James Naughtie, familiar to many through the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 is not only one of our finest broadcasters but also a considerable musicologist. This is a wonderful survey of musical history.

One of our greatest and most influential Scottish poets now has this collected edition of his works which will give readers years of pleasure.

Christopher Alexander is an architectural guru whose work is greatly appreciated by a growing band of followers. This book is astounding. I dip into it at odd moments, savouring the insights of this prophet of humane architecture and design. He changed the way I feel about buildings; after you read it, prepare to look at the world around you with very different eyes.

Roger Scruton is a philosopher who writes on a wide range of subjects within aesthetics. His observations on art and music are profound and stated with great clarity.

Benson wrote a number of novels about two warring women. They are, I believe, among the funniest books written in English in the last century. Lucia is a queen among snobs. Her piano-playing friend, Georgie, is utterly memorable.

Muriel Spark’s character, Jean Brodie, is a teacher in nineteen-thirties Edinburgh. She is one of the great characters of Scottish literature.

Alistair Moffat writes beautifully on history and topography. Here he leads us through that moist entrancing of Italian regions, Tuscany.

Maugham is currently not as widely read as he deserves to be. He was a master of the short story, and even if the world he describes has largely passed away, his insights into human nature remain as striking as ever.

Freud can be read as literature. The case of Little Hans is memorable and reminds us of the theatrical nature of the Freudian enterprise. Freud wrote up relatively few cases, but they provide a remarkable insight into the world of one of the towering figures of modern times.

Patricia Highsmith is known for her extraordinary Ripley novels. This novel, her first after she wrote The Talented Mr Ripley provides us with an example of her ability to portray psychopathy as no other author has ever managed to do. She is the one author who can actually scare me.

Reading Proust is a major project, but one well worth undertaking. This is the first volume of his great novel, and provides a good introduction to his astonishing prose. Reading Proust is like bathing in words – and requires a life-jacket.

This atmosphere of this powerful novel remains with the reader well after the last page has been turned.

This is a classic of folklore collecting – the informants being British children. Many of us will remember the rhymes and sayings collected here.