The Animators by Kayla Rae Whitaker

Kayla Rae Whitaker has crafted a tale of friendship and art that is funny and heartbreaking in equal measure. When two young women meet in art class, they become fervent friends – bonding over their love of classic cartoons, their dysfunctional working-class families, and their craft: drawing. A decade later, they are an award-winning animation duo but with success comes new troubles which threaten their partnership.

Eyes Too Dry by Alice Chipkin & Jessica Tavassoli

Meet Tava, a young medical student in a deep depression, and Alice, her friend and housemate who is trying to figure out how to support her. Together, they have created Eyes Too Dry. In telling their story, this graphic memoir explores heavy feelings, queer friendship and the therapeutic possibilities of making comics.

The Mother of All Questions by Rebecca Solnit

Here’s a gift idea for your friend who’s keen to smash the patriarchy. The Mother of All Questions is a fiery and invigorating collection of essays comes from writer, historian, and activist Rebecca Solnit – one of the most important public intellectuals writing today. It’s a book to provoke and inspire.

The World’s Best BFFs by Nadia Bailey & Juppi Juppsen

This colourful gift book profiles 40 of memorable friendships (real and fictional) throughout history – including Abbi and Ilana, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, Oprah and Gayle, Leslie Knope and Ann Perkins, and many more. Each new entry features one of Juppi Juppsen’s bright and poppy illustrations of the friends in question.

Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

Frances is a cool-headed and darkly observant young woman, vaguely pursuing a career in writing while studying in Dublin. Her best friend and comrade-in-arms is the beautiful and endlessly self-possessed Bobbi. When the two of them are drawn into the world of a glamorous older couple, photographer Melissa and her actor husband Nick, complication arise – not least, Frances and Nick’s growing attraction. Conversations with Friends was a staff favourite last year and comes highly recommended.

Hera Lindsay Bird by Hera Lindsay Bird

If your friend needs a good laugh, Hera Lindsay Bird’s irreverent poems might just do the trick. The young New Zealand poet covers a wide range of topics, everything from outdated 90s sitcoms and dick jokes to exploding helicopters, and always with a mix of hilarity and sincerity.

Embroideries by Marjane Satrapi

Embroideries gathers together Marjane Satrapi’s tough-talking grandmother, stoic mother, glamorous and eccentric aunt, and their friends and neighbours for an afternoon of tea drinking and talking. Naturally, the subject turns to love, sex and the vagaries of men… This is such a warm, delightful, funny book, and a lovely tribute to friendships between women.

No One Likes a Fart by Zoë Foster Blake & Adam Nickel

A picture book can make a very sweet gift and Zoë Foster Blake’s first book for children’s is loving and funny story about friendship – complete with lots of fart jokes. Perfect for your friend who has a silly sense of humour.