Huge thanks to my copyeditor, Mary Chamberlain. Thank you for being so meticulous and for getting the story timeline watertight! Massive thanks to Deborah Balogun for your brilliant line-edit and to Maria Adebisi for your valuable beta-read report. Thank you both for ensuring that all the cultural references were spot-on and for making my story even more authentic. And thank you Nicole Wayland and Megha Jain for your superb proofread.
To Aki, Joe and Nelima at The Literary Consultancy: Thank you for shortlisting my story for the Pen Factor Writing Competition 2019. Since I won, you haven’t stopped shouting about Yinka. (Please don’t stop!) As always, I’m truly grateful. And thanks to Thalia Suzuma (my TLC reader) for your invaluable manuscript assessment report. Everyone at Spread the Word: Thank you for hosting such fantastic writers’ events—they were worthy investments! Special shout-out to Aliya Gulamani for her ongoing support. And thank you to Davinia Andrew-Lynch, one of my early readers. I will never forget that time you had coffee with me and shared your thoughts.
To all my sensitivity readers: Alex and the team at AUREA, thank you for your great and reassuring feedback on my portrayal of aromanticism. Conor Duckworth at Glass Door Homeless Charity, thank you for your helpful insight on my portrayal of homelessness. Beryl Tomlins, thank you so much for running a “mock” counseling session with me. I couldn’t have written Jacqui’s character and the therapy chapters without you! Seyi Afolabi, thank you for looking over the fashion-related scenes. Alex Lee, Lola Adelaja and Louis Blackburn, thank you for allowing me to pick your brains on the world of investment banking.
To my amaaazing friends, I wish I could name you all! Thank you for your love, support and prayers over the years, and for not growing tired of my same ol’ writing updates. And thanks to my girls on the Creative Ladies WhatsApp group for spurring me on. To my lovely former co-workers at Carers UK: Thank you for all your much-needed encouragement and for not yawning when I told you that I spent my weekend writing. Again.
I have to give a shout-out to my girl, Issa Rae. If you ever read this book, I’m a HUGE fan! Thank you for creating your TV show, Insecure. I drew a lot of inspiration from it, especially as there are very few shows centered on Black female friendships. And thank you, Mara Brock Akil. Girlfriends and Being Mary Jane provided massive sources of inspiration. Thank you for being a trailblazer and for telling Black stories. Also, big-up to The Wrap Party and Chuckie Online. Honestly, listening to your podcasts helped me hone Donovan’s voice. You guys cracked me up when I needed a boost.
Last, but not least, thank you, Jackie Ley, for giving me the idea to turn Yinka’s blog post into a novel. Our encounter was definitely divine. I’m forever grateful.
About the Author
Born and raised in London, Lizzie Damilola Blackburn is a British-Nigerian writer who won the Literary Consultancy Pen Factor Writing Competition in 2019 with an early draft of her debut novel. She has been on the receiving end of the question in the title of her novel many times, and now lives with her husband in Milton Keynes, England.