I have an aversion to planning out stories. For the most part I set out with a single character and a dilemma, which expands to capture other people until suddenly there’s an adventure of sorts underway. That said, I thought that The Last Dance was to be a cosy tale of an illicit love affair in southern England but somewhere along the way it turned into an international spy story involving smuggled secrets and a brewing world war. I don’t know whom I have to thank for that but as I usually discover there is a host of people I owe a debt of thanks to for helping me to complete the storytelling journey.
So, my sincere gratitude to VisitBritain for assisting me to piece together the Kent section and for the trip to the new London Transport Museum in Covent Garden – it is a quirky, fun installation for all visitors.
In what now feels like another lifetime I was once a daily commuter between Brighton and London, but my 1979 knowledge was still too recent for my story so Brian Halford from National Rail kindly connected me with Phil Marsh from Cleek Railway Solutions. Phil passionately set about educating me with regard to the south-eastern railway network of England in early 1933. I don’t believe there was a single question I posed that Phil didn’t have an answer to; he even made it possible for me to sight the rail ticket of the exact journey in the exact month and year I needed. Thank you, Phil – you’re a gem.
The reading squad must be thanked and while they see reading early drafts as anything but a chore I am ever grateful to Pip Klimentou, Nigelle-Ann Blaser and Sonya Caddy for their feedback.
To the team at Penguin Australia that has moved beyond the publisher role to become a beloved cheering squad, my love and thanks – especially to you, Ali Watts; also to Saskia Adams, Lou Ryan, Sharlene Vinall and Rhian Davies for having my back – and my thanks also to all at Penguin Random House for your immense care and support.
I must also thank William Wordsworth for penning a poem I have loved since I learned it at school at about the same age that Grace learns it in my story.
Finally, to family – more important than anything else. Thank you for being mine. Fx