Acknowledgements

Like most books, The Fogging could not have been written and published without the kindness and hard work of a lot of people.

I am extremely grateful to everyone at Scribe for publishing this book and doing it so brilliantly. Especially during such a difficult time. A special mention goes to Laura Thomas for designing such a great cover, and to Tace Kelly for all her work publicising the book. But extra special thanks go to my editor, Anna Thwaites, who is not only a gifted editor, but an unnervingly patient and kind person, too.

Thanks to The Fogging’s first readers, Dom Amerena, Coco McGrath, Nick Tapper, and David Winter, who either read very early versions of the book or read it when it had been highly commended for the Victorian Premier’s Award for an Unpublished Manuscript and I was trying to figure out what to do with it next. Their early feedback undoubtedly made it a better book.

The judges of the 2019 Victorian Premier’s Award for an Unpublished Manuscript played an important part in getting this book finished and published. I want to thank Jaclyn Crupi, especially, for her advice and her belief in the book. Big thanks also to my agent, Grace Heifetz at Left Bank Literary, for guiding me through the new and strange process of becoming a published author.

To Léa Antigny, Chris Currie, Jennifer Down, Alaina Gougoulis, Chad Parkhill, Oliver Reeson, Chris Somerville, Laura Stortenbeker, Veronica Sullivan, Alan Vaarwerk, Rebecca Varcoe, and Jack Vening: thank you all for your support and distraction through the hard times and the good.

Thanks also to all the other friends who have helped in one way or another over the last few years — Duncan Blachford deserves special mention here — and to all the writers I have met along the way whose friendship and solidarity has been so invaluable.

In the final stages of writing and revising this book, I was lucky to be offered a residency at Jacky Winter Gardens. It was a beautiful place to work, and I thank Lorelei Vashti and Jeremy Wortsman for the opportunity.

Finally, much love and gratitude to my family for all their support. I owe my love of books and writing to my parents, to their bookshops and their passion. This book serves in part as a dedication to the memory of my mother. Without her, there would be no book. This is true of my father also, so thank you, Dad.

To my sister, Jess, and her partner, Simon: thank you for everything you do. To Antonia: your love and support, and your insight and notes, have been more important to this book than it is possible to say. You have informed and improved it in countless ways, and I could not have done it without you. And, lastly, to my daughter, Albertine: thank you for all the joy you have brought me while I have wrestled with this story. I couldn’t have done it without you, either.