Great thanks again to Tim O’Connell for his faith, wisdom, skill, and determination in getting Hollow commissioned and edited, and to the team at Vintage. Endless gratitude to Caroline Ullman for her encouragement, intelligence, and commitment to me and to the transmutation of the original manuscript into English. To my steadfast agent, Millie Hoskins, at United Agents, and also to Jon Elek, who got the ball rolling. And to the redoubtable Seth Fishman at the Gernert Company. Respectful gratitude to all my readers and for those who went out of their way to support my ravings: Rebecca Hind, Geoff Cox, Alan Moore, Iain Sinclair, Michael Moorcock, Stuart Kelly, Philip Pullman, William Driscoll, and my pals at the Ruskin School of Art and the Royal Academy of Arts.
To the legends of Hieronymus Bosch and Pieter Bruegel the Elder, whoever and whatever they were—demigods to any of us who dwell and farm in the landscape of the imagination. Painters beyond comprehension in the breath of their invention and the divinity of their skill. Constructing windows into humanity and magic, with all their shadows intact and talking.
PROFUNDISSIMA CUM HUMILITATE
SUPPLEX VOS ADORAMUS