This was a personal journey that would not have come together without the help of so many people.
To my fabulous agent Danielle Binks, of Jacinta di Mase Management, thank you. You have held my hand through every step of this process and I’m beyond grateful for your friendship, guidance, support, positive energy and encyclopedic knowledge of young adult fiction. Thank you also to Jacinta and the team. To my editor Jane Pearson, thank you for seeing the truth in this story and working so hard to bring it to light. The whole team at Text has been a dream to work with. Thank you to my publicist Jamila, to Shalini and Kate in marketing and Stef in sales and thank you to Jess Horrocks for my gorgeous cover design.
When this book was still a manuscript I wouldn’t tell anyone about, I sought out every opportunity to learn and develop it so it would one day be a real book. I’m thankful to the Children and Young Adult Conference (CYA), the Emerging Writers Festival, Varuna, the Writers’ House and the Queensland Writers Centre for the opportunities provided to me and to all writers.
Online, I’ve found wonderfully supportive people and real friends as part of the #loveOzYA community as well as the #ActuallyAutistic community. If you’re autistic, or a writer or both, these communities will buoy you when things get tough.
Thank you to my sensitivity readers, Rudi and Rhianna, for your time in helping make this book better. And it is so much better because of your work.
I’ve been fortunate to be surrounded by strong girls and women throughout my life. There are too many to mention them all, but thank you Leecee for your friendship, now and when I needed it most. Thank you for leading by example. Thank you Aimee for being my person. Thank you to the friends who have become family and the family I call my friends. Thank you Jen and Katie for standing in as my big sisters, with all the best advice. Thank you to my mum friends, who are kickass, strong, inspirational, whole human beings beyond this role, making it work in a million different ways. You have made this stage of my life the best so far. Thank you Carole for all of the time and care you have gifted me.
To my grandad, Frank, you have been a guiding light. Thank you for being one of my first readers, biggest supporters and the best penpal I could imagine. I love you. Thank you Sean and Tom for a lifetime of support. You are great brothers and even better uncles.
Thank you, Mum and Dad, for loving me with your whole hearts in every imaginable way. Thank you for surrounding me with the best books and a love of reading from such an early age. This book wouldn’t exist without you. I love you both.
Arthur, thank you for believing in this book long before I did. Thank you for your love. There is no one I’d rather spend my days with. Life feels like a dream come true even without this book, because of our little family.
Aggie, you are my world and I pinch myself every day that I get to watch you grow up. You are so wholeheartedly yourself and I hope that you always feel loved, supported and at peace to be who you are. The world had better get ready.
And thank you to anyone reading this book. Readers make the best people.