Ghost Wall(29)

Acknowledgements




This book began in two places: the first when I participated in a residency in Northumberland to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Hexham Literary Festival. I thank Susie Troup for inviting me and looking after me there; Claire and Hilary of Cogito Books in Hexham for their kindness to a wandering writer; Wendy Breach at Bridge House for providing the perfect base. Most of all I thank Andy Bates, who taught me everything I know about leather, replicas and re-enactment, and introduced me to the bog people. All errors of fact or probability are my own, but most of the truths are ones he told me.

My second inspiration was the ‘Scotland’s People’ exhibition in the National Museum of Scotland, where I went to spend time with the possessions and bodies of Iron and Bronze Age residents of the borderlands. I am grateful to Dr Fraser Hunter, Principal Curator of Iron Age and Roman Collections, who took some trouble to find and send me Pat McGuire’s haunting notes for the ‘Dead and Sometimes Buried’ exhibition when I suddenly decided I needed them.

I thank my colleagues in the Warwick Writing Programme and in the English Department at Warwick: Will Eaves, Maureen Freely, AL Kennedy, Tim Leach, Tina Lupton, David Morley and Chantal Wright.

Thank you, as always, to Sinéad Mooney for early reading; to Kathy MacDonald for archaeological conversations; to Anna Webber at United Agents for sage counsel and afternoon tea as well as excellent representation; to everyone at Granta Books, especially the brilliant Lamorna Elmer, and Max Porter, my editor and my friend.