ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

In memory of Andrew McMillan, Hunter MC, Ollie MC, Auntie Marj and Grandma.

Above all, I must thank my mother, Helen, for everything.

Thanks to my father, Musa bin Masran, and my family in Malaysia. Special thanks to my editors Ben Ball, Caro Cooper and Michael Nolan for their insight, patience and sharpness. Extra special thanks to Sophie Cunningham, who lit a fire under me to write this thing in the first place. Thanks to the brilliant Penguin team of Anyez Lindop, Rebecca Bauert, Alex Ross, Adam Laszczuk, Laura Thomas, Andre Sawenko, Rhian Davies, Clementine Edwards, Cate Blake, Nicola Redhouse and Heidi McCourt. Thanks to The New Press team, including Maury Botton, Julie McCarroll, Michelle Blankenship, Ben Woodward and Carl Bromley. Thanks to Fatima Bhutto. Thanks to my agent Tara Wynne at Curtis Brown. Thanks to Cole Bennetts, Kadi Hughes, Simon Cobbold, Sof Ridwan, Karolina Kilian, Kilifoti Eteuati, Sisilia Eteuati, Will Small, David Celeski, Aleksandar Celeski, James Rush, Tristan Gaven, Antony Loewenstein, Joshua King, Bibi Jol, Leanne Pattison, John Mazur, Lamaroc, Tornts, Brad Strut, The Tongue, The Australia Council, Hau Latukefu, Daniel Merriweather, Horrorshow, Mantra, Tom Thum, Newsense, Mohsin Hamid, Christos Tsiolkas, Nam Le, Sarah Tooth, Stephen Atkinson, Luka Lesson, L-Fresh the Lion, Rob Lancaster, Daniel Guinness, Mighty Joe, Sean M Whelan, Raph Dixon, Marksman Lloyd, Big Village, Gary Dryza, Joelistics, Thundamentals, Maxine Beneba Clarke, Emilie Zoey Baker, Polly Hemming, Kate Shelton at Benedict House, and Ali Cobby Eckermann at the Aboriginal Writers Centre: all great advisors, readers and friends.

Finally, much love and many thanks to you, the reader.

Omar Musa, Queanbeyan, 2015