You can’t spend more than ten years on a book, and nearly twenty years with a subject, without a small army of people to help you along the way. I’m incredibly grateful first of all to the late great Paul Nelsen of Marlboro College, as well as Eric Bass, Tim Little, Geraldine Pittman and Birje Patil, all of whom encouraged me in theatre, writing and my Marlowe obsession. Thanks also to Peter Saccio, who was kind enough to read fifty pages of my first attempt at a novel about Marlowe way back in 2003.
My gratitude also to my advisers in the Drama and Dance Department at Tufts University, whom I can only hope I haven’t disappointed too badly: the brilliant Downing Cless, and force-of-nature Laurence Senelick, who often decried the jargon-riddled dullness of much academic writing. ‘Just tell a good story, for God’s sake!’ he said. He could not have known just how deeply I took that to heart.
This book owes a great deal to the hard work of researchers, librarians and archivists, many of whom had no idea I was writing both a dissertation and a novel: Chao Chen from Tufts’ Tisch Library, Calista Lucy at the Dulwich College Archives, Julian Bowsher, David Saxby, Cath Maloney, Steve Tucker and Karen Thomas at the Museum of London Archaeological Archives and the LAARC, Arnold Hunt at the British Library, and many others who helped me find my way to the right questions. Thanks also to Joanne Hill at the Marlowe Society for being so welcoming, and to Rita Ortolino-Dioguardi at Tufts Drama and Dance for keeping me sane.
I’m fortunate to have found a vibrant and ever-growing community of writers through Grub Street Boston, including my Novel Incubator mentors Michelle Hoover and Lisa Borders, the NI class of 2013 and all the other ‘Incubees’ before and since. Thanks especially to Emily Ross, Allison Kornet and Tracey Palmer at DeadDarlings.com, and to my patient and insightful beta-readers John McClure, Lise Brody, Deborah Good and Alison Langley, and to my ride-or-die writing buddy these many years, Susan Ray. I’m forever indebted to the Novel Fair team at the Irish Writers Centre, Betty Stenson, Orla Martin, Cassia Gaden Gilmartin and Laura McCormack, and the 2022 judges Neil Hegarty, Cauvery Madhavan and Gavin Corbett. A tip of the hat to my fellow 2022 winners, whose support and friendship have been invaluable.
This novel only exists due to the tireless efforts and unwavering enthusiasm of my agent Brian Langan, and the incredible team at Atlantic Books UK, including Karen Duffy who first took a chance on me, my amazing editor Joanna Lee and copy-editor Tamsin Shelton, Rights Director Alice Latham, plus the marketing and publicity team Laura O’Donnell, Sophie Walker, Kirsty Doole and Aimee Oliver-Powell. A big thank you also to Helen Edwards for always going above and beyond. I am immensely grateful to the supportive and hardworking team at Pegasus Books who brought Lightborne to my home country: Publisher Claiborne Hancock, Deputy Publisher Jessica Case, Production Manager Maria Fernandez, and Publicist and Marketing Coordinator Meghan Jusczak.
Personal thanks are due to Paul Richards, the devil on my shoulder, and Jenny Marchand, the devil on my other shoulder, and the many other friends who have kept me going. Eternamente agradecida a mi familia española, Juan, Ana, Irene y Anita, por su confianza y apoyo; y gracias también a Virginia Blázquez por su talento extraordinario y todas las cervezas compartidas. Love always to my gracious parents and family, who have always supported me in every journey I’ve taken. And to my wife Alicia, who has never wavered in her support of this little writing habit of mine: I’d cross the sea with you a hundred times.