Tom Aikens, chef

'The biggest risk, if you're a clumsy-clot, is losing your fingers. I haven't lost any, but I've sliced off a few tips. It takes years to master the art of cutting things quickly without cutting yourself.'

Ronnie O'Sullivan, snooker player

'Everything comes from the hands in snooker. Fingers, knuckles, wrists, shoulders - once they're locked in, it's like a machine. When it feels solid, it's like a wand - I'll try the impossible.'

Jacqueline Wilson, writer

'I bought my very first ring when the publishers bought my very first novel. I was about 23. I've celebrated in a similar fashion ever since. I write all my novels with a felt pen in notebooks, but the rings don't get in the way.'

Neil Kitchen, neurosurgeon

'You need manual dexterity as a neurosurgeon. It's a case of holding very small instruments, very lightly - rather like mending a watch. Whenever you operate on the brain, and the patient's covered up, you disassociate yourself. You focus 100%.'

Anish Kapoor, sculptor

'I've been working with this mixture of wax, paint and Vaseline for some time. It's always red, a colour with a physical presence. It's not a colour put on another surface - it's material and, yes, you can see my touch in it. But I make great efforts to get rid of the hand in my work.'

Nina Taylor, hand model

'People have dubbed me the supermodel of hand models. The other day I was shooting an advert, wearing about £4m worth of jewels on my hands, when one of the PRs turned to me and said, "My God, you've got the most beautiful hands I've ever seen."'

Evgeny Kissin, pianist

'As soon as I was tall enough to reach the keyboard, I started playing the piano, first with one finger, then with all 10. I was two. I wasn't aware of my hands - it felt very natural; an audience shouldn't think about them, either. They should just listen to the music.'

Antonio Pappano, conductor

'I feel music as something you can touch. It can be light or heavy. Of course it's invisible, it's an illusion, but when music is performed, you need to hold up the sound with your hands. You are trying to sculpt a sonorous image into the ear of the listener.'

Darren Campbell, Olympic relay gold medallist

'At 12, I dreamed I'd be an Olympic champion. My first chance came in Atlanta in 1996 - I dropped the baton. Things came full circle at Athens in 2004. Strangely, I wasn't nervous. I just couldn't wait to take the baton in my hand and win.'

Luca Annels, one-day-old baby

Luca's father, Dave Annels, says, 'Luca's hands are perfect miniatures, in full working order. They may be a little uncoordinated at present, but he's already clenching them into little fists, ready to fight the world.'

Buster Martin, centenarian

'I'm told my hands don't look their age. It's because they've been active all my life. I worked at Brixton Market from 1916 to 2004; I now work as a valet. When people say, "Those aren't the hands of a 100-year-old man," I say, "Try telling my 73-year-old daughter that."'

Mat Fraser, actor/presenter and child of thalidomide

'I love the uniqueness of my thumbless hands. Sure, it's not my choice, but I wouldn't have it any other way. People view them with a mix of shock, surprise, fascination and attraction. I'm happy with any reaction, as long as it's honest.'

Alex Kapranos, guitarist

'When I started at 13, I'd thrash against the strings, scraping off fingernails and skin. I learned you don't have to hit it that hard to make it sound good. When you're tuned in, your fingers behave independently of your brain. That's when you know you're playing well.' Courtney Pine, saxophonist 'My hands are a vital link in the process of turning sound into something others can feel. They're at one with the instrument. My saxophone has 28 holes, and my fingers manipulate, caress, stroke, touch, feel, press, tap, rub and finger every note I can find.'

Nicola Bridge, amputee

'I was electrocuted doing the ironing. They couldn't save my left hand. Sometimes, I'll race out of the house and realise I've left my arm behind, or I'll get too hot and it will fall off. My brain still feels my fingers, but I can't feel anything through touch. That's what you miss.'

Grayson Perry, artist

'My hands are really small, which is good - a lot of trannies are self-conscious about their hands because they're like spades. That's also why I make coil-pots. It takes strength to manipulate a big pot. Coiling is much more delicate.'