by Harry Verity
THE END
Acknowledgements
Like many debut authors, the publication of my first book has been long and arduous. I finished the first draft when I was nineteen and I will be twenty-seven at the time of publication. But as I alluded to in the dedication, this book has endured an even more unusual road than most because it was revised, published and promoted whilst I was abroad in Vietnam where the impact of COVID-19 has been minimal. This has presented me with unique challenges and opportunities and there are therefore many people to thank.
I am grateful to Lou Tompkins who gave me invaluable feedback on the early drafts when we were both students in the English and Drama Department at Loughborough University.
I then worked on other projects and pursued a career as a freelancer for magazines and newspapers, working as a sales assistant for a brief period in W.H. Smith and then completing a Masters in Early Modern History at the University of York.
Following the completion of my MA, I then spent eighteen months travelling. When the pandemic struck in March 2020, I found myself in Vietnam where precautionary measures had been in place for over a month. During our short lockdown of just a few weeks, I found the time and the space to attempt further revisions on the book and I am so grateful to Elka Ray and Janie Glockstein for their advice that ultimately led to me securing the deal with Bloodhound.
Alice and her family at Hoi An Sea Village Homestay were incredible hosts during the lockdown and the editing of the book; they cooked me breakfast every morning and helped me make sense of the unfolding situation including on one notable crazy evening explaining why a van with flashing lights and a dozen men in hazmat suits had turned up at the homestay with a government order paper! As you can imagine this was a huge distraction for several days which is now just a distant memory that I look back on with much humour.
My thanks must also go to Emily Carroll, friend-extraordinaire, who kept me sane in 2020, and the other members of the Cosy Corner Crew whose breakfast I also highly recommend. I must also thank Lidia, Ms Nghi and Mr Nhan of Da Nang for their friendship and for answering trivial but important questions such as ‘where do you buy books in Vietnam?’ and ‘how do I top up my phone?’
The brilliant cover which captures so perfectly what the book is about was designed by Mel Wolfe.
And of course, I thank my publisher, Betsy Freeman-Reavley at Bloodhound Books, my editor Morgen Bailey and editorial manager Tara Lyons. I also thank my Mum, Ooya, Andrew, Nana and Granddad.
Finally, I am indebted to the oh-so-street-wise Ellie Stentiford, another member of the Vietnam crew, for proofreading the book before it went to print and for pointing out that the grandmother who pawned her jewellery for drugs would only be able to afford grams and not ounces of crack.
Because of the unfolding situation with the pandemic you may well see copies of this book before I do. Whether you are reading a printed or e-book copy and wherever you are in the world, I would love to see some photos. So please do reach out to me via email: [email protected] or via Instagram: @hverityauthor.
A note from the publisher
Thank you for reading this book. If you enjoyed it please do consider leaving a review on Amazon to help others find it too.
We hate typos. All of our books have been rigorously edited and proofread, but sometimes mistakes do slip through. If you have spotted a typo, please do let us know and we can get it amended within hours.
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