I first read The Secret of Platform 13 when I was nine years old and I fell in love with Eva Ibbotson’s world. To be allowed behind the scenes has been beyond magical for this grown-up superfan. Thank you to the wonderful Ibbotson family for trusting me with this project, and special thanks to Justin Ibbotson for his kind, confidence-boosting words, for inviting me to stop by for tea anytime, and for making me feel so welcome in his mother’s world. Eva made magical books and even more magical people and it has been such an honour to live in her worlds – both real and imagined – if only for a while. Thank you, I will never forget it.
Thank you to the marvellous Lucy Pearse – it has been such a fun journey working on this book with someone so talented and passionate about Eva’s work. It is so fitting that Eva’s editor is as mighty as her very best characters.
Thank you to my legendary agent and pal Gemma Cooper, who is at commemorative statue levels of excellence – thank you for always being so wonderful and hilarious and filling my diary with the most special projects.
Clare Hall-Craggs, your magic knows no bounds, thank you for shouting about this book from every gump imaginable, and thank you to the gorgeous Kat McKenna for the magical proofs and genius marketing plans (and for saying I smelled nice that time I came in for a meeting after having dropped a tuna baguette on myself). Thank you to the fabulous Cate, Veronica, Sam, Nigel, Sue and everyone else at Macmillan who has worked so hard on this book and made every step so special.
Thank you to the wonderful booksellers across the country and beyond who are always so supportive and kind – you are the real magic ones! Thanks especially to Fiona and Holly for the very generous early reviews. Thank you also to the lovely Fiona Noble, as always. And to all the wonderful book bloggers who are so incredibly generous with their time and talent.
Thank you to Ruari for letting me turn our honeymoon in Vienna into a research trip, and thank you to my family, especially my mum and dad, who kept my original copy of The Secret of Platform 13 all these years.
Thank you to my wonderful writer friends, especially Team Cooper, and my lovely non-writer friends – special thanks to Tommy Seddon, for being my unofficial publicist from the very beginning. And thank you to my incomparable readers, the craziest kids in the country, who never fail to inspire me.
Thank you to my favourite Frankie Cordall, who inspired the truly kind, courageous and magical new characters in this book.
And thank you Eva, you filled my childhood with so much magic, and continue to do so for so many others. We are so lucky we get to keep your magic forever.