Acknowledgements
I owe a lot of thanks to a lot of people, both for all the support since the release of Rebel of the Sands, and all the support in writing this book. I haven’t even started and I’m already worried about forgetting someone. So to everyone who was there for these books and for me: friends and family who offered anything from a kind word or a drink to help get the book from my brain to the laptop; publishing professionals who helped get this book from my laptop to the bookstore; booksellers and librarians who helped get it from the shelf into readers’ hands – please know that I am grateful!
First, always, my parents, who somehow managed to raise me with both the absurd belief I could achieve anything I set my mind to, and the very pragmatic understanding that I would have to work hard for it. I wouldn’t have aspired to or achieved one book, let alone two, if not for them. And I probably wouldn’t have finished if they hadn’t provided a steady supply of both encouragement and alcohol in the final weeks of drafting.
I’m still not sure who I sold my soul to in order to land an agent who is as smart, passionate about books, and supportive (and a million other things I don’t have room to list here) as mine. I can probably do without a soul, but I know I can’t do without Molly Ker Hawn in my corner.
Thank you also to the rest of the Bent Agency and the wonderful foreign rights agents they work with for all they have done for Rebel.
I think the trick to putting a good book on shelves is to work with people who are smarter than you are. So thank you to Kendra Levin, who I suspect of being psychic because she understands what I’m trying to achieve even before I do, as well as somehow always managing to time encouraging emails exactly when doubt is about to get the better of me. And to Naomi Colthurst who brought so much positivity and enthusiasm to this book that I’m pretty sure I syphoned some of it from her to be able to finish editing.
To use the old cliché it takes a village. So to my two transatlantic villages at Penguin Random House and Faber & Faber, thank you.
Ken Wright and Leah Thaxton for being so wonderfully supportive of me and of Rebel throughout the whole process. As well as Stephen Page. And to Alice Swan who brought Amani and crew to their UK home in the first place.
My publicists on both sides of the pond. Elyse Marshall who I’m pretty sure could power a small country with her positivity, and who can organise a bookish jaunt around the US and make it look easy. And in the UK Hannah Love, who kept me (semi) sane in my jaunts around the UK and who sometimes goes as far as to dress as my creepy twin. Thank you for getting my books to readers!
To Maggie Rosenthal, Krista Ahlberg, Natasha Brown, Sarah Barlow, Mohammed Kasim and Naomi Burt, for all the hard work you do on this book day to day that I don’t see, but also for the parts that I do see like seriously smart contributions and comments about this book. The kind that clearly come from a great deal of care. I’m so grateful to have had so many additional eyes and brains on these words.
To the people who make my books look good. Theresa Evangelista, Will Steele and Emma Eldridge for my covers. And to Kate Renner for designing the US insides, including the awesome map, and for having an endless amount of patience when dealing with my complete geographical incompetence.
To the whole of the marketing and social media teams. Emily Romero, Rachel Cone-Gorham, Anna Jarzab, Madison Killen, Erin Berger, Lisa Kelly, Mia Garcia, Christina Colangelo, Kara Brammer, Erin Toller, Briana Woods-Conklin, Lily Arango, Megan Stitt, Carmela Iaria, Venessa Carson, Kathryn Bhirud, Alexis Watts, Rachel Wease, Rachel Lodi, Susan Holmes and Niriksha Bharadia. And especially Amanda Mustafic and Kaitlin Kneafsey for all your support on the road. And Bri Lockhart and Leah Schiano for being early readers of this book and just in general endlessly awesome human beings when it comes to book love.
To the whole of the sales teams on both sides of the Atlantic, especially Biff Donovan, Sheila Hennessy, Colleen Conway and Doni Kay who were kind enough to guide me as I traversed the US and introduce me to some awesome booksellers. And to the Faber sales team, David Woodhouse, Miles Poyton, Clare Stern and Kim Lund.
And to all the incredible booksellers I met in Boston, Chicago, Seattle, and Raleigh who were kind enough to be readers of a very early draft of Rebel. In particular Kelly Morton, Allison Maurer, Lauren D’Alessio, Betsy Balyeat, Rosemary Publiese and Kathleen March who wrote such nice things about that early draft. And Gaby Salpeter for your enthusiasm about a later draft. And to every bookseller in the UK who has been such a wonderful champion of the book, in particular Aimee and Kate at Waterstones Piccadilly, Chloe at Foyles and Jamie-Lee at Waterstones Birmingham.
And though you are too many to name, thank you to all the awesome bloggers, vloggers and general YA supporters who have been so enthusiastic in spreading the word about a new author online.
This book is dedicated to my friend, Rachel Rose Smith, who is one of the smartest, kindest people I know and who has been there for me in the best and worst times both around writing and outside of the bookish world. She only begins a long list of people I have been lucky enough to accumulate in my life. And who I will wear out my fingers trying to name. But particular thanks go to Michella Domenici for being my first fangirl always. Amelia Hodgson who always has the time to help dig me out of plot hole. Justine Caillaud for being a creative support since I was able to pick up a pen. Meredith Sykes, for the early read and the necklace made of sand. Christie Coho, for keeping me sane. Cecilia Vinesse for coffee, food and puppies.
And Roshani Chokshi for actual medical advice about scars and metal under the skin. And Juno Dawson for excellent advice about tackling pronoun use for a gender-fluid shapeshifting character.
For being kind enough to write nice blurb for Rebel: Rae Carson, Alison Goodman and Erin Lange.
And to everyone else who has been there through this, who has pushed this book into the hands of others or offered a kind word, advice or an ear in the good times and the less good times, personal and writerly alike … Jon Andrews, Kat Berry, Anne Caillaud, Emma Carroll, Lexi Casale, Sophie Cass, Traci Chee, Jess Cluess, Noirin Collins, Laure Eve, Max (Hamilton) Fitz-James, Maya (M.G Leonard) Gabrielle, Stephanie Garber, Jeff Giles, Meave Hamill, Janet Hamilton-Davies, Heidi Heilig, Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock, Mariam Khan, Rachel Marsh, Kiran Millwood-Hargrave, Anne Murphy, Elisa Peccerillo-Palliser, Marieke Peleman, Chelsey Pippin, Harriet Reuter-Hapgood, Marie Rutkoski, Melinda Salisbury, Samantha Shannon, Tara Sim, Evelyn Skye, Carlie Sorosiak, Solange Sykes, Emma Theriault, Annik Vrana, Katherine Webber, Anna Wessman and all of my fellow ’16er authors for getting it. Also, the whole of my bookclub crew for being bookish with me, and the very nice people at Artisan coffee who basically fueled this book and have let me spend more hours in their establishment than in my own home. And so many more, thank you all!
And finally thank you to all the readers of Rebel of the Sands who have taken the time to share your enthusiasm for my first book, and your anticipation for this one. I think I’m supposed to write for myself first. But I’ve always wanted to write for others. And you make that possible.
About the Author
ALWYN HAMILTON was born in Toronto and spent her early years bouncing between Europe and Canada until her parents settled in France. After attending school in France, Alwyn went to Cambridge University to study History of Art at King’s College. On graduating she returned to France and worked in a bookshop, where she rediscovered YA. She then moved to London where she now lives and put her degree to use working for an auction house. She is now a full-time writer and Rebel of the Sands was her first novel.