This comforting anthology of poems, the latest in our 100 Poems series, is the perfect collection to help you celebrate ageing (whether gracefully or disgracefully).

It includes a wide selection of poets and poems, from the famous, such as Dylan Thomas’s ‘Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night’ and Jenny Joseph’s ‘Warning’ (‘When I am an old woman I shall wear purple’), voted Britain’s favourite post-war poem in a BBC poll, to less well-known voices such as Iranian poet Mo H. Saidi, Carole Satyamurti’s evocative description of two old ladies paddling, and some ancient Greek wisdom from Callimachus. It urges you to seize the moment, to process your regrets, to make the most of what you have, to prepare for the inevitable, and most importantly, never to give up.

Keep this handy anthology nearby, whether at your bedside, in your bag or on your desk, ready to remind you that ageing is a personal journey that can take whatever shape you decide.