Writing a book is a bit like going on a long voyage over the high seas: it’s an epic journey, full of adventures and surprises; the sailing is by turns rough and smooth; and the people who go with you make all the difference. Sometimes they even save you from sinking!
Alongside me on the wild adventure of writing The Troublemakers, I’ve been very lucky to have the best crew a pirate could ask for, and I want to express my earnest gratitude to them all with a resounding YARRRRR! THANK’EE, ME HEARTIES!
Nat Doherty, with her humour, kindness and wisdom, steered this book safely through storms; at times she took the wheel to stop me from sailing into the jaws of a kraken or going completely off the edge of the map.
Wendy Shakespeare with her all-round brilliance and eagle eye for details has made the book shipshape and seaworthy, from crow’s nest to keel.
Jane Griffiths and Josh Benn have kept the book sailing merrily in the right direction, and have done the very important work of guiding the ship into port and safely lowering the anchor. And Sarah Hall, Petra Bryce and Louisa Hunter have expertly secured the metaphorical halyards!
Paola Escobar has created yet another gorgeous cover, a magnificent new map and enchanting illustrations. Emily Smyth’s brilliant design skills have brought the book beautifully to life.
Charlotte Winstone, Michelle Nathan and the brilliant team in publicity and marketing at Puffin have championed the Makers books with swashbuckling spirit and verve!
My brilliant agent, Claire Wilson, and the wonderful Safae El-Ouahabi at RCW – two fearless and mighty heroes to have aboard ship – are ready at all hours to hoist the mainsail and go marauding in search of glory.
Simon Boughton and Kristin Allard at Norton YR took Cordelia and the Makers on their maiden voyage across the Atlantic, and for that adventure I will always be wildly grateful.
Thank you to the wonderful rabble of children’s authors for all your generosity and camaraderie. It is endless fun being part of this brilliant band of swashbuckling storytellers! Especially Hana Tooke and Rosie Hudson: you are diamonds and your friendship will always be treasured. And special thank-yous go to Anna James, Catherine Doyle and Emma Carroll for your very kind and generous quotes.
Thank you to the crew of the beautiful Blue Clipper – Captain Chris, first mate Jack, engineer Mo, Chubbs the cook, sailors Emily, Zara, Gilles, Rich and Kat, and my fellow passengers Adele, Will, Elizabeth and Mark. I will never forget night-sailing round the Isle of Skye beneath the Northern Lights. And I will also never forget Mo’s expression when I declared I was glad to be seasick because it would be great for my book.
Thank you to Mum and Dad, and family and friends, for your patience with my pirate voices and ship talk. And to my sister, Katie (to whom this book is dedicated), for going on adventures and stirring up trouble with me ever since we were big enough to go roving round DOSC together, barefoot and unsupervised.
And to Barney, the star by which I set my compass, for reading every draft and inspiring the name of Smokestack Doogray.
A wonderful thing about writing a book is that once it is finished, that is when the book’s journey truly begins: the story goes out into the wide world to find its way into the hands of the people it will belong to – such as you, dear reader!
Finally, I would like to thank the wonderful booksellers who put books into the hands of young readers: you perform life-changing acts of true magic every day. I doff my piratical tricorn to you all!