There are many people to whom I owe much. I’d like to thank Remi Slade-Caffarel, Genevieve Gagne-Hawes, Mathilde Huron, Kathleen Craig, Louisa Pillot, and Alicia Heimersson for reading, being read to, editing, and generally providing help along the way. I’d also like to thank my family for their love and support: Audrey, Gerard, Christian, Claire … that’s you. In this third and perfectly acceptable sentence I think I will direct the stream of my gratitude towards Alfie Bown for his generous disposition and help in getting Fire Hides Everywhere into the hands of the Zero Books team, whom I’d also like to thank for their support and expertise, particularly Emma Jacobs for the copy-edit. Finally, a little word for you, dear reader: thank you. For picking this novel up. For reading literary fiction in general. And for accepting to come on this journey with me.