Damian Barr
Tales Of The City series by Armistead Maupin
I still fancy Michael ‘Mouse’ Tolliver. Doesn’t matter that he’s not real or that I’m married: I love his naughty laugh, his dance moves at The End Up, his perfect wee moustache. I adore all the residents of 28 Barbary Lane: Mouse and Mary Ann and Mona and even Brian. Mrs Madrigal, their mysterious landlady, has the answer for everything. Maupin’s novels of San Francisco go from the 1970s to now, and helped liberate teenage gay me.

Gemma Cairney
Classic Grace Jones by Grace Jones
I find that audiences tend to think about how fantastical Grace Jones’ aesthetic style is, or how ‘fierce’ she seems in old and out-dated interviews. But when I listen to her catalogue of music I’m truly blown away. She is fine art personified, an afro-futurist before that was even a phrase. In this collection there are some lesser played tracks from her repertoire: the title track of 1980’s Warm Leatherette, for example, just bangs! This is why it was such a joy to choose audio for Dear Library, a beautiful reminder of the simple pleasures of being introduced to wondrous artistry in all its detail.

Lauren Mayberry
The Trick Is To Keep Breathing by Janice Galloway
This book is one of my all-time loves and I come back to it every few years. I got it out of a library when I was at high school and had never read anything like it. The form of it was unlike anything I’d ever seen before, and the slow reveal of what the flashbacks are actually describing floored me. A novel filled with melancholy but also with hope, I think. 

Pat Nevin
Pride And Prejudice by Jane Austen
Austen doesn’t, or at least shouldn’t, need to be sold. In short, if you haven’t read her works, go and do so now. Pride And Prejudice may be the best place to start as it could be the perfect novel. Alone on the desert island, I would need something of depth, humour, seriousness and wit all in one. It would have to be something that rewards multiple readings. It also has to be a book that would make me happy, and Pride And Prejudice does that without fail. When loneliness or depression reared, which it undoubtedly would, the comfort of not taking yourself or life too seriously would help in those dark moments. When there are no acquaintances around, the Bennets, Bingleys and Darcys would be most agreeable replacements.

Val McDermid
The Whole Story And Other Stories by Ali Smith
Ali Smith never fails to dazzle me. Her novels are miracles of invention and the way she uses language is revelatory and imaginative. Her short stories have those same distinctive and idiosyncratic qualities. She moves me to tears and to laughter, she provokes rage and pity, and she makes me think. Even if you believe you don't like short stories, you should give Ali Smith a try. She will change your mind.

Dear Library, National Library Of Scotland, Edinburgh, Friday 20 June–Saturday 18 April; main picture: KT Bruce.