To colleagues who offered edits, interviews, and other professional services on various versions of the manuscript: Anna Barnes, Emily Bitto, Amy Bloom, Sam Cooney, Marieke Hardy, Nic Holas, Patrick Kelly, Krissy Kneen, Ben Law, Peter Polites, Paul Dalla Rosa, Josephine Rowe, Ellena Savage, Chris Somerville, Sofija Stefanovic, Estelle Tang, Shane Tas, Anna Thwaites, Christos Tsiolkas, Sam Twyford-Moore, Sam Wallman, Bryan Washington, Fiona Wright and Lorelei Vashti – thank you! I’m especially grateful to an anonymous interviewee and reader who improved the work considerably at two decisive moments, as did Dion Kagan, by letting me read an early copy of his wonderful book Positive Images: Gay Men and HIV/AIDS in the Culture of ‘Post-Crisis’ (I.B. Tauris, 2018). The following organisations were critical providers of money, time and validation: the Australia Council for the Arts, the City of Melbourne Annual Arts Grants, the Felix Meyer Scholarship, non/fictionLab’s McCraith House and the MacDowell Colony. Extra strength, triple platinum, high quality support was courtesy of Nikki Lusk, Michaela McGuire, Tim McGuire, Ruby Murray and Liam Pieper.

A giant thanks to RMIT, especially the flipped PRS group, the novelLab and non/fictionLab research groups and everyone in the Writing and Publishing discipline: it’s an excellent place for writers and a true professional home.

To my extremely supportive family – I dedicate the book to you.

My friends have far and away been the biggest part of my life in the time the book was written; in addition to the above, thank you, Al, Taube, Shannon, Marty, Pete, Ben, Miles, Ferdy, Katie, James, Kristy, Nisha, Luke, Adam, Bec, Tristan, Bec, Tristan, Michael, Claire, JB, Matt, Marion, Shaun, Jeremy, Britt, Kate, Steph, Toby, Kate, Matt, Jake, Alice, John, Jimmy, Brooke, Daina, Tahnee, Rob, Liz, Virginia, Ellen and both of the book clubs.

A final thanks to Jarrod Sturnieks, who’s been there from the start. ‘Totally essential to the creation of this work’ doesn’t even begin to cover it.

Also by Ronnie Scott

ALSO BY RONNIE SCOTT

Salad Days

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