I’d like to give special thanks to Jeff Fountain and Patrick Raggett for their unstinting support over a long period of time. Their practical help and, equally importantly, their editorial instincts and insights were a huge source of encouragement and helped to get The Reaper to this point.
I’d also like to thank loyal friends and relations who acted as members of my informal promotions team and were happy to take copies of the self published version of The Reaper and put them in many people’s hands. Thank you for all your help and support Martin Bowen, Giles Newington, Chris Fisher, Keith Robertshaw, Alan and Sandie Staley and Dennis and Ged Lee.
A big thank you must also go to Waterstone’s, and in particular Sean Heavens at the Derby Branch and Glenys Cooper at Burton-on-Trent, for believing in The Reaper and encouraging me to get stock into several Midlands branches. Their support helped make The Reaper a local bestseller.
Obviously I’m grateful to HarperCollins for the chance to reach a wider audience with the new edition of the book and I’m indebted to Maxine Hitchcock and Sammia Rafique for their expertise and enthusiasm.
On that note, thanks also to Jeremy Thompson and all at Matador Publishing who produced such an attractive volume and generally steered me calmly through the nerve-wracking process of self-publication, and to Corin Page, my brilliant designer, for producing the original eye-catching cover which gave the self-published Reaper such instant appeal.
Finally, a big salute to friends and customers in Derby and the Midlands, particularly staff and students of Murray Park School for their support and interest. The same goes for the guys in Camberwell and Weekenders Cricket Club, particularly Christopher Doughlas for his advice and encouragement.