The Year Nick McGowan Came to Stay (17 page)

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Mum, Dad, Rob, Sonja, Benjamin, Emily and Buster, Nic, Kat, Katie, Steph, AB, Shaun, Senta and Jason, Mandy, Marty and Leanne, Tads, Melissa and Damo, Judy, Joshua Littler and Emma Littler, Sharon Marsh and David Camplin, Anthea and Miranda, Keith Stanley and Flight Centre for assisting with my trip to New York, and Arts Queensland who provided me with a grant to write this novel, Frances Whiting, Kim Wilkins, Nick Earls, Catherine Drayton and âThe Sharons' (who provided unintentional comic relief on the netball court each week).

Three cheers for my UQP family: Greg Bain, Taressa Brennan, Eliza Kennedy, Rob Cullinan, Simone Bird, Leonie Tyle, Christina Pagliaro, Kate Barry (for another outstanding cover) and â most of all â my publisher, the fabulous (and patient) Madonna Duffy, who cared just as much about my happiness and well-being as she did about deadlines. Eternal gratitude to my editor Rachel Scully who shone the torch when I was stumbling around in the dark. Rachel, this is a better story because of you.

And finally, thanks to Brad â for the consistently fabulous Sang Choy Bow, for telling me how to beat his serve on the tennis court after that fourth ace and for always telling me how much he believes in me and my writing. Couldn't have done it without you.

The Year Nick McGowan Came to Stay
is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real people or events is a complete coincidence. And while Rachel (like me) attended St Peters at Indooroopilly â Rachel's teachers, classmates and the events that take place at the school are one hundred per cent fictitious.

This book is unofficially dedicated to the staff and students of Middlemount Community School who welcomed me with open arms in the summer of 2004. And to Mrs Hedley, with love.

First published 2006 by University of Queensland Press

PO Box 6042, St Lucia, Queensland 4067 Australia

www.uqp.uq.edu.au

Â© Rebeccca Sparrow 2006

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Typeset by Post Pre-press Group, Brisbane

Printed in Australia by McPherson's Printing Group