ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Like lots of other writers, I have spent many a happy hour mentally composing the acknowledgments for my debut novel, deciding which artist would perform the theme tune for the film, and drafting imaginary acceptance speeches for major literary awards. The one for the Nobel Prize is an absolute corker—really profound and moving. Particularly the bit about world peace.

Unfortunately, when I came to actually write the acknowledgments for my debut novel, I couldn’t remember any of the interesting and witty things I’d come up with, so I’m afraid I’m going to have to fall back on the tried-and-tested “wow, that Oscars speech went on for a long time” format.

There are many, many people who deserve my thanks. Some have had a specific role in bringing this book to life, while others have helped and supported me throughout the whole of my writing journey. It is probably inevitable that I will miss someone. If I do, please take it as a lapse at the moment of drafting this list, and rest assured that your contribution is not otherwise forgotten.

First on this long list is my wonderful agent, Lisa Eveleigh, who believed in me from the first, and always went above and beyond. Thank you for everything.

My heartfelt thanks also go to my equally wonderful editors Bella Pagan and Cindy Hwang, and the rest of the Pan Macmillan and Berkley teams.

Thank you to my MA tutor, Maggie Gee, for telling me I could do it, and also how to do it in considerably fewer words. Also to Fay Weldon, for all her support and some lovely lunches. I consider myself very lucky to have had the opportunity to learn from two such great writers.

I’ve been fortunate enough to have had the support and encouragement of many other writers, as well as of others involved in the creative industries. I cannot name them all, but some deserve a specific mention. The Intensive Critique group on the WriteWords forum, for giving me my first ever feedback, as well as my “real-life” writing group, The Beermat of Silence, for shouting at me loudly whenever a sentence went on for so long that it was in danger of rivaling War and Peace. Particular thanks go to Roger Barnes, for shouting about long sentences and correcting some of my spectacularly incorrect sailing terminology. Last, but not least, Jen Faulkner and Kate Simants, fellow writers and fellow child-wranglers, for support, encouragement, and friendship.

Thanks must also go to everyone at The Little Coffee Shop in Saltford and the Waterstones cafe in Bath, for endless cups of tea while I wrote and edited this book.

Finally, thank you to my family, for their unwavering love, support, and gentle mockery. To Margaret, for babysitting above and beyond the call of duty; Simon, without whom this book could never, ever have been written; and Thomas, Ben, and Sam, who all did their level best to make sure it wasn’t.

Actually, scratch that “finally”—there’s another one.

Tony and Steve, builders and decorators extraordinaire. Because I promised I would, and I’ll never hear the end of it if I don’t.