The Last Time I Saw You (39 page)
Thank you to my unparalleled agent, Sheila Crowley at Curtis Brown, who has been such a support and a champion for the last few years as well as being a great person to have a gossipy lunch with. Thanks too to the rest of the Curtis Brown team, particularly Alice Lutyens and Becky Ritchie.
Equal thanks to my wonderful and patient editor, Jo Dickinson, whose brilliant notes made all the difference. And also to the wider Quercus team.
Thank you also to Lucinda Prain at Casarotto, for being both an excellent mate and an excellent film and TV agent.
A lot of people read this book when it was a work in progress. Particular thanks to my mother, Stephanie—I’m sorry I instantly regressed to a sulky thirteen-year-old when you tried to give me your excellent notes on chapter two.
Huge thanks to Anne Mensah, for being the most overqualified script editor in the world, and taking time out
from her insanely busy job to read it twice right at the end. David Cameron may be an expert chillaxer, but you are not.
Thanks also to Sophia Morphew and Caroline Henry for early reads.
Much of this book was written in the LA sunshine, and I’d like to thank my dear friends there for making it so much fun. Stefanie Leder, Mabel Tannenbaum, and also Hilary, CJ Fahey, Carter and Sean, Sally Robinson, Tonje Kristiansen. And the staff of GTA and the Rose Café for all the coffee and sympathy. It seems a long way away now on a rainy London Sunday.
And a big thank-you to Claudia, Don, Leyla, and Toby for letting me a feverish chunk of it in snowy Ottowa. It was a very lovely time.
Huge love and thanks to Damian Barr. Go the 50ps!
And to Carol Biss. I couldn’t ask for a better Mother Superior.
And to Polly, Shaun, and Barclay for all the Tilton House love. It’s still my favorite place in the world to write.
With so much gratitude to my parliament of wise owls, Kitty, Diana, and Charisse. And also to Francesca and Jodie.
And lastly, with so much love to Kate Martin, Kate Evans, Sophia, Clova, and Kay for all round greatness. Special thanks to Kate E for my latest goddaughter, Martha. And also to Matthew and Karen for Madeleine.
E
LEANOR
M
ORAN
is the author of three previous novels:
Stick or Twist
,
Mr. Almost Right
, and
Breakfast in Bed
, which is currently being adapted for television. Eleanor also works as a television drama executive and her TV credits include
Spooks
,
Being Human
, and a biopic of Enid Blyton,
Enid
, starring Helena Bonham Carter, which she conceived as a result of a childhood obsession with the author. Eleanor grew up in north London, where she still lives.