Hello, my name is Lily Hyde

Hello, my name is Lily Hyde, and I’m an author.

For years, it was a prayer and an anthem. A magical sentence that, if uttered, would bring me closer to repeating it in the bookshelves of Hatchards, The Strand and Librairie Galignani, and then, the Vanity Fair studio, the Criterion Closet and the boardroom of the Rudolf Nureyev Foundation.

It is technically still a prayer. My name is not legally Lily Hyde, and I can only really justify changing it by deed poll when I win £1000 on the premium bonds.

My friend cautiously pointed out that it does not cost this much money to change your name, but it does if you want to get some monogrammed luggage to commemorate this hallowed event.

(Louis Vuitton? No, Anya Hindmarch. I already have Louis Vuitton luggage)