by Chris Vick
But us?
I do not know if I will ever see you again. I do not know what is waiting for me along the road of bones.
I know the powers that make our worlds are strong like djinns. These same djinns also build the walls that keep us apart.
But remember when we were together, on the sea. Think of me sometimes, when you are home, in England, safe.
And this I know.
We lived in a country with no borders. We slept in a house with no walls. We said our prayers, at an altar that was not built with hands.
And I know, too, that I love you.
Aya
Acknowledgements
When I started writing, I naively believed the words on the page were the result of a gargantuan solo effort. There’s a lot of work for the writer, but a book is also shaped by the wisdom and advice of others. Sometimes it takes others to see clearly what you can’t see yourself.
So thanks are due to:
Catherine and the team at Felicity Bryan Associates, not only for agent-y magic, but sage advice on early drafts.
Lauren, Fiona and Alex at Zephyr, for invaluable input, wonderful editing and proper care and attention to the story.
I’m not sure you can ‘thank’ a place or a people, but I have to acknowledge the Amazigh and the country of Southern Morocco. I’ve visited many times – initially for the surf, but it was on later trips when we explored the villages north and south of Agadir, that we got to know some Amazigh, and to learn a little of their culture and history. On market day in the village of Tamraght, we saw an ancient, toothless man. He was shouting, gesticulating wildly and punctuating his speech with loud claps and a crowd quickly gathered around him. He was the storyteller. I didn’t understand a word, but I sat and listened, mesmerised all the same. Storytelling is a living tradition in Morocco, and as you will have seen, its riches are a big part of Aya’s story and of this book.
I’d also like to thank Isabella and our dear friends, the Norths. Bels loved an earlier book of mine, Kook, and tried to persuade me that I should write an alternative final chapter. I considered it, but decided I couldn’t. Stories are what they are. But I did think: what if… And it was that idea that eventually became Girl. Boy. Sea.
Thanks as ever to the team at the Bath Spa MA in Writing for Young People, to the friends I made there, and to the whole community, of which I am a part.
Finally, of course, my family. I hearsay writers aren’t easy to live with when they are deep into crafting a book, and I’m sure I’m no exception. So thanks for generosity with tea, love and kindness and for looking after me. Sarah, Lamorna, Toffee beast, I love you all.
Chris Vick
Wiltshire, May 2019
About the Author
Chris Vick is a graduate of the Bath Spa MA in Writing for Young People. He splits his time between writing, teaching, and working in marine conservation. He lives near Bath with his wife and daughter.
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