“I’ve got an idea for a one-volume reference book – it’s called The Top 10 of Everything.” I didn’t say another word – I didn’t even get as far describing what would be in it before he made me an offer. It was a reasonable offer, but as I said to him, “It will take quite a while to research what lists I should or could do…” – so he immediately doubled his offer. Nowadays publishers have to report back to their sales and accounts people and number-crunch before they can make an offer, but in those days they were allowed that sort of latitude – and in the case of Top 10 it worked. There had been no intention of making it an annual, but the first edition was a bestseller – it even reached No.1 in Ireland! – and it has been published every year ever since. It remains unusual in being an annual that is compiled by an individual, rather than by an anonymous team, and what goes into each edition is still very much a personal decision.

Over the coming weeks, I hope to give you a few insights into what this involves and some of the often unlikely byways I follow in my ongoing quest for Top 10 lists.