The Girl with All the Gifts

Acknowledgements

This novel grew out of a short story, “Iphigenia in Aulis”, which I wrote for a US anthology edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni Kelner. So I have them to thank for its existence, and for the encouragement and feedback they gave me when I was writing it. I’d also like to give huge thanks to Colm McCarthy, Camille Gatin and Dan McCulloch for some wonderful brainstorming sessions when we were turning the short story into a movie pitch. We found different approaches and solutions for the movie, but some of the clarity of their vision and the vigour of their imaginations rubbed off on me and – I’m sure – transferred themselves to the novel. And thanks, finally, to my family – Lin, Lou, Davey and Ben, Barbara and Eric – who were my test bed and wind tunnel for most of the story’s key moments and who never complained once. Not even if they happened to be recovering from major surgery at the time.