For guiding me through ways of hearing, reading and understanding ancient stories, I would especially like to thank Marjorie Le Berre, Earle de Blonville, Jen Carter, Rita Compatangelo-Soussignan, Axel Creach, Marie-Yvane Daire, Robert Dixon, Paul Geraghty, Diane Goodwillie, Duane Hamacher, Roselyn Kumar, Frédéric Le Blay, Bruce Masse, Sepeti Matararaba, Elia Nakoro, Petra Nunn, Nick Reid, John Runman, Margaret Sharpe and Dorothy Vitaliano as well as numerous others who have encouraged and challenged me. I thank the competent team at Bloomsbury, especially Jim Martin and Anna MacDiarmid, as well as my copy editor Krystyna Mayer. My family could not have been more supportive – to them this book is dedicated.