Tilly Maguire and the Royal Wedding Mess
Page 23
Sal V, it’s difficult to put into words how grateful I am for your incredible practical support and friendship over the last couple of years (and for all the lasagnas and soups). Ali – you too. For all the Friday nights planning and dreaming together. Rach, for your daily support from afar, which means so very much to me, and Nina, for your eloquence and wisdom on and offline – you are a true gem. Lucca, Andrea and Matthew – thank you for friendship and help, and for your instrumental role in our family.
Particular mention must go to my ‘WTHeckious’ private chat group, and to Team Bliss (the best running group in the world) for your wisdom, humour, indulgence and friendship. Couldn’t do it without you. Really couldn’t. Am there for you forever.
My sister Sarah is brave enough to tell it like it is. Her honesty and constructive criticism is invaluable to me, and it means so much. She reminds me to ‘keep the faith’ when I’ve forgotten to believe in myself, and I borrow from her quiet strength and confidence. Paul, Abbey and Lucy are always on the sidelines cheering for ‘Auntie’ and I love them!
Audrey Thomas, co-author of some of my non-fiction writing, and my business partner and dear friend, is incredibly patient, tolerant and supportive of this ‘other side’ of my career. No matter what we have on, if there’s a sticky plot point, she’ll drop everything and help me work through it, because she’s one of the most generous people I know.
Ness Johnson is the new friend who walked into my life with huge dreams and endless optimism about the dramatic production of Unrequited, the Musical and took the project on in 2017 at St Clare’s College in Canberra. To Ness, Kylie, Margaret and the amazing cast and crew from St Clare’s and St Edmund’s – you don’t know how much that show meant to me, creatively and personally. Thank you.
Sally Whitwell, brilliant pianist, composer and life-long friend, I’m so excited that we share a love for these characters and this story. Building this story with you on and off stage has been immensely satisfying, and I’m so glad I could write the book you wish you’d been able to read as a teenager. I’m immeasurably excited about our future endeavours! (Sally is a gifted lyricist. She is responsible for Tilly’s far suprior rewrite of Reuben’s song and for many of the lyrics that appear in Unrequited.)
To my parents, I’m forever grateful for your deep love, and for the opportunities you gave us to believe that dreams like this can come true if you work hard enough and persist long enough. I love you.
My step-children (who are more like friends), Victoria and Duncan, and their partners, Jake and Meg, have been beside me in the trenches of grief, and I respect and love them so deeply, and thank them for their endless encouragement, support and help. It is an honour to be ‘related by marriage’ to you all.
To my own little family of Hannah, Sophie and Sebastian, where do I begin? We didn’t choose the path we’re treading, but I’m so proud of the way you’re walking it with me. Your resilience, love and practical help fills me with such admiration and pride, and I adore you with all of my heart. xx
About the Author
EMMA GREY is the Canberra-based author of Wits’ End Before Breakfast! Confessions of a Working Mum (2005) and the award-winning I Don’t Have Time: 15-Minute Ways to Shape a Life You Love, co-authored with Audrey Thomas (2017).
Unrequited was Emma’s debut YA novel, and the story has inspired the development of a full-length musical, created in collaboration with dual ARIA-winning composer, Sally Whitwell.
Emma lives in near Queanbeyan, NSW with her daughters, Hannah and Sophie, and her son, Sebastian.
Copyright
Angus&Robertson
An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, Australia
First published in Australia in 2019
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Copyright © Emma Grey 2019
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