Behind the name on the title page, there are many people involved in the appearance of a novel, and I would like to say a huge thank you to them. I am truly grateful to my agent, Caradoc King, for his early encouragement for the adventures of Clara Vine, and to everyone at United Agents. Thank you also to my superb editor, Suzanne Baboneau, and the team at Simon & Schuster UK – Ian Chapman, Clare Hey, Hannah Corbett, Isabel Prodger, Elinor Fewster and Rik Ubhi – to name but a few. I am thankful to many magnificent booksellers I have met around the UK, including all at Hatchards, Wimbledon Books and the energetic Colin Field of Waterstones.
In particular I want to thank John Carey, writer, critic, wit and beloved uncle, for whose inspiration and encouragement I am always grateful.