A new library allows readers to borrow people for a 30-minute chat. Here's the experience of one man who offered himself as a human book

instead of books, readers can come to the library and borrow a person for a 30-minute chat.

The human “books” on offer vary

healthy cross-section of stereotypes

list included Police Officer, Vegan, Male Nanny and Lifelong Activist as well as Person with Mental Health Difficulties and Young Person Excluded from School. I was there as Gay Man.

First out were Social Worker (“naive”) and Immigrant (“wasting resources”) and then Muslim (“beard”) was borrowed for a quick chat, presumably about bombs and his attitude to women.

introduced to my first reader, a young Romanian woman

We launched into a frank conversation about how much seeing two men kissing in Leicester Square had unexpectedly upset her

Back in the shelving room, the conversation was alive with first impressions. “Have you been borrowed yet?”