First of all, I have to say a very heartfelt thank you to the Text Publishing team. I still can’t really believe that a company I dreamed of working with has published my book, and I feel incredibly lucky to have had such dedicated publishing support. To my editor, David Winter—you have shown me so much more than just how to edit, how to work collaboratively on a manuscript, and how to make a fledgling novel draft a grown, real thing. My time spent working on Cherry with you has finally convinced me that a marathon can be much more satisfying than a sprint. Thank you. To Imogen Stubbs, who designed my special cover—thank you for your tireless efforts in getting this right. You are so talented. To my publicist, Jamila Khodja, and to Nadja Poljo, a former Text publicist, who is the reason I got this chance in the first place—endless thanks.
To the publishers and editors and readers of the Australian journals that backed my short fiction over the last five years: you do the most important creative work, and I cannot thank you enough for your commitment and devotion to the written word. A special thanks to Daniel Young of the late Tincture Journal and Michele Seminara of Verity La, for being two of the kindest and most passionate people I’ve ever known.
Thank you to my dear old friends for being my sticks and rocks, and for entertaining the frivolous pursuit of fiction: Calida, Carly, Annie, Katie, Kav, Isabel, Joel, Karl, Adnan, Alice, Nic and Rachel, and Luke. To the precious pals I have made in writing and online communities across the world, thank you for making life much more interesting, especially Dom and Zoë, who read early chapters of Cherry; André, who has helped with short stories along the way; and Marta, Claire, Anna, Robbie, Lachlan, and Dafna, for cheering me along and letting me do the same for them. Enormous thanks also to the first readers of Cherry, who were generous enough to take on the task: Ellena Savage, Jennifer Down, Laura Elizabeth Woollett, and Emily Bitto.
To the beautiful counselling team of wise, strong women at PANDA—I am so lucky to have you in my life and to work alongside you every week. My spiritual wellbeing has never been so high!
Since I was little my mother and father, Carmel and Peter, have shown me that a life lived with your nose in a book can be the most exciting kind of life, and I thank them for this, and for being such softhearted, supportive, spirited, and curious parents and role models. To my brother, Alexander—thanks for putting up with me: I love you! To Petra, Hans, Karl, and Hannah—thank you for welcoming me into your family with such open arms. To my granny and grandpa, Helen and Max, and my nan, Helen, and dearly departed pa, Bob, thank you for everything. And to the grandmother I never met, my mother’s mother, Marjorie—thank you for shining a clear light across and beyond your life. You mean so much to me.
This book is also dedicated to Otto Henkell, who was by my side, holding my hand and tending to my heart, over the time I spent writing it. Never have I known a more generous, compassionate or thoughtful person, and never has anyone helped me to feel so grounded and free. Thank you for being there. Without you, this book would not exist.