Letters, words and sentences all strung together in infinite possibilities ... an alphabet soup or a scrabble of words, the possibilities of the written text unravel year after year. There are words that speak to you, and there are times when you can have a conversation with the words. There is so much to say, so much to write and so much to read.

As we wrap up 2015, this special issue of Books&Authors picks up both ends of the yarn - asking writ-ers to write about what they read, and readers about what was written during the year.

Here's to more unforgettable words in 2016...