Of the stories included here, ‘Jermyn Street’ was first published in Nicholas Royle, ed. Neon Lit: Time Out Book of New Writing 2 (1999). ‘As Long as He Lies Perfectly Still’ appeared in the Independent on Sunday. ‘Charcoal’ was published in the Sunday Express Magazine. ‘Wrote for Luck’ was broadcast on BBC Radio Four and appeared in the Literary Review. ‘Teeny-weeny Little World’ and ‘Blow-ins’ were broadcast on BBC Radio Four and appeared in the Eastern Daily Press. ‘The Disappointed’ was published in Nicholas Royle, ed. The Agony and the Ecstasy: Short Stories and New Writing in Celebration of the World Cup (1998). ‘Rainy Season’ was broadcast on BBC Radio Four. ‘Passage Migrants’ was broadcast on BBC Radio Four and appeared in Pretext. ‘Birthday Lunch’ was published in S magazine. ‘Cranked Up Really High’ appeared in the Mail on Sunday’s You magazine.
I should like to acknowledge the help and encouragement of the various editors and producers who originally commissioned or accepted these stories, in particular Nicholas Royle, Suzi Feay, Christie Hickman, Nancy Sladek, Trevor Heaton, Ali Smith and Julia Bell. Especial thanks are due to Sam Jordison, Eloise Millar and Henry Layte, without whose kind invitation this collection would not have existed.