Author’s acknowledgements

I started with an idea. Slowly translated it into words. About a trillion words. The trillion words turned into stories, which went into my computer to be mulled over, crossed out, rewritten, plots reinvented – oh, it took months of slog and times of despair and then moments of such satisfaction I was heady with bubbles, like a bottle of champagne. Stories done, I had to head for the kitchen for a long, long time, perhaps a million days or so. In the end I had a book. But no – you can’t have a book without a team: a publishing manager to give you the green light, offer a contract, appoint an editor, a designer, an illustrator, a proofreader … It’s all a case of team work, and in Fig Jam and Foxtrot I have had the finest bunch on earth. Linda, bless her, first saw the possibilities and gave me Joy as an editor. Now this woman is a total treasure, and every author should have the privilege of a smiling, incredibly competent Joy Clack on tap. She’ll treat your manuscript as though it were a rare diamond. Work long, long hours at shaping it. Quickly detect any flaws. Smooth out the cuts, then give a professional polish. Sean Robertson and Petal Palmer’s enthusiasm for Tony’s sketches matched my own. We yelped with delight at his brilliant interpretations of the characters and Sean harnessed his own considerable creative talent in painstakingly hand-lettering all the titles, and worked overtime to fit the illustrations in just the right places. My family wasn’t part of the team but my thanks certainly extend to them, for they quietly evaluated my work (both literary and gustatory) and – they’re very honest, they are – gave me the thumbs up wherever they felt it was due. Now I have finished.

Thanks again, everyone.

Lynn Bedford Hall