I began my research by compiling an interview questionnaire designed to help me conduct a preliminary exploration of their world which was so unfamiliar to me. What are the most common, erroneous clichés about the blind? How do they dream? How do they cope with everyday life at the computer, on the phone, doing their laundry, etc.? You can find a selection of their original replies on www.sebastianfitzek.de.
In order to avoid any glaring errors, I based my Alina Gregoriev character on a real, live person: Mike May, who was also blinded by an accident at the age of three. Should this book whet your interest in his fascinating life, I recommend you to read his biography by Robert Kurson, Crashing Through: A True Story of Risk, Adventure, and The Man Who Dared to See (Random House). May cycled for miles unaided as child, acted as a school ‘lollipop man’, and skied downhill at 105 kph – a world record for the blind! His achievements are so remarkable, I had to tone them down a little in Alina’s case, or no one would have believed in her.
I gave the relevant chapters of this book to a group of blind and partially-sighted people to read prior to publication. Special thanks are due to Uwe Röder, who organized several group telephone chats, and to Jenni Grulke, who volunteered to read the chapters aloud to all concerned. The group’s feedback enabled me to steer clear of some obvious mistakes. For instance, a guide dog in unfamiliar surroundings would never have snoozed as peacefully as I described in my first draft. I discovered that some blind people use make-up and sport tattoos. I also learned a great deal about their fears, their concerns and the incomprehensibly thoughtless and hurtful treatment to which they’re sometimes subjected by sighted persons.
For these and countless other valuable insights I should like to thank, in addition to those already mentioned: Feeodora Ziemann, Andrea Czech, Petra Klewes, Günther Sollfrank, Christine Klocke, Sahre Wippig, Roswitha Wagerer, Niels Luithardt, Helge Jörres, Anke Mädler, Nuray Gürler, Andreas Heister, Brigitte Rieger, Fanny Holz, Karina Scheulen, Johanna Sopart, and Victoria Amwenyo.
I’ve been quite overwhelmed by the helpfulness and candour of all the people listed here. I’ve learned so many interesting things in the last few months, I couldn’t possibly incorporate them all in a single book. That’s one of the reasons why I’m toying with the idea of featuring Alina and Zorbach in another thriller.
However, I must also admit that it’s frankly impossible for a sighted person like me to enter fully into the world of the blind. In spite of the most intensive research, hours-long interviews and conversations, and personal experiments in dark restaurants, and even though my blind consultants read the draft in advance, I probably haven’t succeeded in eliminating every error from my story (for which I, of course, bear sole responsibility).
This is because The Eye Collector is purely a work of fiction, not a textbook, and because Alina Gregoriev’s ‘gift’ naturally makes her an extraordinary case. Nevertheless, I hope it is clear from my book how much I admire and respect those who run their own lives without the benefit of eyesight. My respect for them grew with every word I wrote.
In particular, I should like to make a point of mentioning Lisa Manthey. A young lady of sixteen, she answered all the questions I asked her about a blind teenager’s school routine.
Well, now it’s time to introduce the rest of the gang. I don’t know how it is with you, but to me most acknowledgements resemble the final credits of a feature film. We don’t watch them because we don’t, in any case, know the names that go scrolling past so swiftly.
To avoid this, I always say a few words about the people I’m indebted to. (A mention in a book comes cheaper than an invitation to a meal. Besides, some of the screwballs from whom I derive my inspiration aren’t exactly the kind you want to be seen with in public – right, Fruti?) Let’s start with my publishers. I must once again make special mention of Hans-Peter Übleis and Beate Kuckertz. They have an unerring feel for a good story and – something that never fails to give me special pleasure – wonderful signatures. That of Herr Übleis always looks particularly handsome on my contracts.
Two more names deserve to be printed in extra bold type: those of Carolin Graehl and Regine Weisbrod, my editorial dream team. You appended precisely 252 comments to my first draft (I counted), though six of them, at least, were favourable. I must have a masochistic streak, because I still love you. A thousand thanks for once more making the best of my book.
The production department, too, excelled itself again. Many thanks, Sibylle Dietzel...
Over 100,000 new books are dumped on the market each year. If mine tend to land nearer the top of the pile, I owe it to two world champions in the art of book-lobbing (aka marketing): Kerstin Reitze de la Maza and Christian Tesch.
I’ve a terrible memory for names, so please take my thanks to the following as a thank you to the entire Droemer team: Susanne Klein, Monika Neudeck, Iris Haas, Andrea Bauer, Konstanze Treber, Noomi Rohrbach, Georg Regis, Andreas Thiele, Katrin Engelberger, and Heide Bogner.
Not to be forgotten under any circumstances, yet again, are my discoverer, Frau Dr Andrea Müller (who has rejoined the Droemer fold), and Klaus Kluge (who is still playing the ‘renegade’ ;-)).
My list of unofficial helpers continues:
Roman Hocke – you’re the man who found me a publisher when so many others had rejected me. My thanks go also to the rest of your crew at AVA: Christine Ziehl, Uwe Neumahr, Claudia Bachmann, and Claudia von Hornstein.
I’m surprised that my list of good friends doesn’t get shorter from book to book, given that writing leaves me less and less time to cultivate a social life. Despite this, Zsolt Bács, Oliver Kalkofe, Thomas Koschwitz, Peter Prange, Dirk Stiller, Andreas Frutiger, Arno Müller, Jochen Trus and Ivo Beck regularly get in touch, if only because I’ve failed to return their DVDs or skipped a root canal appointment on some flimsy pretext – right Uli? (Ulrike Heintzenberg, the world’s finest dentist!) My thanks to Simon Jäger for his wonderful voice, which enhances my audiobooks, and to Michael Treutler for his fantastic efforts at Audible.de.
My thanks, too, to Gerlinde, with whom I’ve been able to give some terrific readings, and who also has the makings of a novelist. Your story is great – it’s high time you put it down on paper. Go on, take the plunge...
Thank you, Thomas Zorbach, for your wonderful surname, which I was privileged to borrow, and for your invaluable help in implementing some crazy ideas with your boys and girls from vm-people. By the way, your photo makes you look very well preserved for a man of fifty-six!
My gratitude to Manuela Raschke, whom I always introduce as my brain, but who looks a great deal nicer and has managed my entire life, goes without saying. (I would also mention Barbara Hermann in this regard.)
Manu, I mustn’t praise you too fulsomely, or your husband Kalle (Rocky Graziano’s one-time personal trainer) will stick me in a punchbag the next time we meet.
Two people whom I can’t possibly leave out, and who have been there from the outset, are Sabrina Rabow (the woman for you if you want to get your name in the papers) and Christian Meyer (the man for you if you want to get it out again).
My thanks to the family Fitzek, Clemens, Sabine and Freimut – guess which one is my father? – for their professional, but primarily emotional, support. The family plays an important role in all my books, and not without reason; but I, unlike my heroes, am lucky enough to possess one that is still intact. It also, of course, includes Sandra, who contrives to share her life with a madman who’ll break off in the middle of a sentence because another thought has just occurred to him...
... erm... were was I? Ah yes... the police!
Thank you, Detective Chief Inspectors Ingo Dietrich and Michael Adamski, for some fascinating insights into criminal investigation.
Finally, I must introduce you to the person who first gave me the idea for The Eye Collector : my physiotherapist Cordula Jungbluth, who has been putting me through the shiatsu mill for the past four years. She surprised me after every session by coming out with some ac
curate diagnoses of my life and psyche which she claimed to have ‘read’ from my body during treatment. At first I was merely amused when she told me I’d been an outsider as a boy (who wasn’t?) and that many unresolved conflicts were still warring inside me (you don’t say!). But then I thought, ‘Hang on, if mere physical contact can really enable her to see into my past, what if I were a serial murderer? Could she tell if I’d murdered someone in my cellar just before she massaged me?’ And that gave birth to the idea. (Not of going down into my cellar, of course, but of sitting down at my desk...)
I should add that, while giving me a massage me not long ago, Frau Jungbluth broke off to say (not that I’d ever told her anything about The Eye Collector ), ‘Asphyxia plays a prominent part in your new thriller, am I right?’ She explained that she’d felt short of breath while manipulating me. I doff my virtual hat to you, Frau Jungbluth, and look forward to my next appointment!
Well, I now conclude as usual by expressing my gratitude to all the booksellers, salespersons and librarians who saw to it that this book ended up in your hands.
If, after these marathon acknowledgements, you still have the energy to send me your opinion of The Eye Collector, you can reach me in the following ways:
[email protected]
(for compliments, requests for autographs, proposals of marriage, etc.)
or:
[email protected]
(for criticisms and complaints, etc.)
[email protected]
naturally functions as before
Keep reading and best wishes from
Sebastian Fitzek
Berlin, March 2010
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