Skein Island

AUTHOR’S NOTE

Skein Island is set in a world that’s not quite the same as our own. Although the story contains real towns and places it also has quite a few imaginative liberties taken with those places. Apologies to anyone who knows the locations and gets confused by the geographical alterations. It’s also worth mentioning that the book was written more than a few years ago, and some elements, such as the repatriation days that used to take place at Wootton Bassett, and certain technological developments, have changed in reality. I decided to leave them as they are in this revised version.

The novelette that accompanies Skein Island was a recent revisit to the island, to look afresh at some of the themes from an older (and probably not wiser) point of view. I hope it works as a complement to the original story.

Big thanks to Neil Ayres, John Griffiths, Tim Stretton, George Sandison, Gary Budden, Max Edwards, Adam Lowe, Victoria Hooper, Francesca Kemp, and everyone at UKAuthors and Titan Books. And thanks to Libby’s Café for the coffee and teacakes.

This book wouldn’t exist without the support of the people who give me daily injections of confidence. Nick, Elsa, Mum, Dad, Harley and Barney, and the best big brother in the world – Jim Ovey, my hero – thank you.