I’ve always been told that I talk too much. Striking up a conversation with someone I’ve just met comes naturally to me, so thankfully I’ve never had a problem making friends, even in the most unexpected of places. A booze cruise in Lisbon. Worse for wear in a club bathroom. Sitting alone at a book launch. Via a DM exchange on Twitter. I’ve done it so many times that turning strangers I’ve just met into people I love to catch a drink or visit an exhibition with is something I’ve come to consider a specialist skill.

For an extrovert like me, friendship in the fast lane is just something that tends to happen. I see someone that looks cool, get chatting and hope the sparks follow. Chemistry isn’t just reserved for romantic relationships – I’ve often found it in a shared love of an obscure band or favourite book. At so many points in my life, at school, university and work, I’ve been introduced to someone for the first time and known instantly that they were my kind of person.