Pieces of me: Isabel Allende, novelist

Novelist Isabel Allende Photograph: Robert Gumpert/Robert Gumpert/NB Pictures

"This is the first copy of my first book, The House of the Spirits. It has a dedication from my stepfather and is also signed by the actors who appeared in the movie. When I was writing it, I was nobody. I had no voice, no job. I was such a sullen, angry, sad kid. Now, every time I turn on the hot water, I feel blessed" Photograph: Robert Gumpert/Robert Gumpert/NB Pictures

"When I was expecting my daughter, Paula, I made these rag dolls for her. As a child she always had them with her. When she was sick, she was like a doll but what I remember about her is how gracious she was; like a dancer" Photograph: Robert Gumpert/Robert Gumpert/NB Pictures

"I am an eternal foreigner; the daughter of diplomats, a refugee, an immigrant. I have started from scratch in a new place with a new language several times, so I am not attached to objects. But I have a closet full of my mother’s letters, written over a period of 30 years. If I don’t write to her every day, I feel like I haven’t brushed my teeth" Photograph: Robert Gumpert/Robert Gumpert/NB Pictures

"This buddha is from Burma but I bought it in Thailand. Buddhists have a way of seeing life that is not about personal ambition" Photograph: Robert Gumpert/Robert Gumpert/NB Pictures

"I love this picture of Paula, taken in a restaurant in Segovia. She seems to be praying but she was looking at the food. I scattered most of her ashes in the woods as she wanted, but I kept some in this jar. This letter from her tells us to be happy, and tells her husband Ernesto to find another wife. She says her spirit will remain. And it has" Photograph: Robert Gumpert/Robert Gumpert/NB Pictures

"These were Paula’s slippers. Once a year we have a ceremony to remember Paula and we take them out" Photograph: Robert Gumpert/Robert Gumpert/NB Pictures

"This Spanish oak table was in my grandfather’s house. It’s where my grandmother had seances, so in my mind, it’s charged with spiritual energy, if there is such a thing" Photograph: Robert Gumpert/Robert Gumpert/NB Pictures

"Reading Shakespeare made me a writer. He revealed to me the idea of tragedy and comedy, cause and effect. I don’t want to be preached at, I want to be entertained" Photograph: Robert Gumpert/Robert Gumpert/NB Pictures

"My son is my soul. These were his first shoes. I have a splendid relationship with my daughter-in-law and we work together in the foundation. Today there are 27 million slaves in the world, mostly women and girls. I know for the rest of my life that this is going to be my mission and my struggle" Photograph: Robert Gumpert/Robert Gumpert/NB Pictures

"This was handmade by a friend. The frame belonged to my grandmother" Photograph: Robert Gumpert/Robert Gumpert/NB Pictures

"After my daughter died, I was incapable of seeing the beauty of the world. I went on a trip to India. There’s an immediacy to everything there which shook me out of my grief. I had this ring made because the snake is a symbol of renewal; that you can shed whatever you want to and begin again" Photograph: Robert Gumpert/Robert Gumpert/NB Pictures