Bernardine Evaristo argues that, as we move out of lockdown and rebuild our creative infrastructure, we must cherish the country's arts culture.
She criticises disinvestment in the arts and the notion that school children should be, at every stage of their education, steered towards science and maths subjects.
'Creativity infuses every aspect of society and how we function as human beings,' she writes. 'Without creativity everything stagnates, including advances in STEM subjects.'
Producer: Adele Armstrong