If you’ve ever wondered what four hours a week, every week, for five years – give or take – might equate to, it’s 940 hours. That’s how long writer Lauren Bravo has spent volunteering on the counter of a north London charity shop.

She’s the author of How To Break Up With Fast Fashion (the non-fiction book she published in 2020) so, with her imminent new release – a heart-warming fiction book set in and around a charity shop – she’s staying firmly on home turf. But as she’s keen to point out, she didn’t set out to write “sustainable fashion: the novel”.

“I just thought it was mad that no one had written a book set in a charity shop,” explains Bravo. “It’s a cliché, but they really do bring together people from all walks of life. And it’s a great leveller – no one cares about what you do for a living or what your house looks like. I find that, a bit like the hairdressers, you end up bringing up the big stuff quite early – suddenly, you’re spilling your life story.”

Secondhand shopping tips: Preloved author Lauren Bravo on how to find the best things in charity shops