Journalist Deepa Padmanaban’s book Invisible Housemates (HarperCollins) is a collection of essays that offer a sensitive, empathetic insight into the world of creatures that inhabit our homes. Geckos hide behind our paintings; crows perch on the bars of our windows; ants escape into syrupy corners; cockroaches sneak into drawers filled with grains. Padmanaban asks: How well do we really know these housemates?

She tells us, “Many of us go on safaris for the thrill of catching sight of a rare or endangered animal. We rarely pay attention to the animals and insects that live alongside us — in and around our homes. Too often, we dismiss or even despise the creatures, labelling them as mere pests. My idea was to illuminate this unnoticed biodiversity thriving around us, and highlight that the pests we revile often only become so through our own unintended or deliberate actions.”