The Break-Up Clause by Niamh Hargan

Acknowledgements

Thank you, Lucy Stewart. It turns out that ‘I basically just want my editor to enjoy this’ can power a person through writing an entire novel. Your care and enthusiasm has been such a gift. I don’t think I could have done it without you and that’s really all there is to it.

Thank you also to the wider team at HarperFiction, each of whose contributions I wanted to specifically note in the credits to follow these acknowledgements. It takes a village, and I’m continually impressed by the talent and passion that all of you bring, in different ways, to the task of helping books reach readers.

Thank you to the team at Curtis Brown, especially Sheila Crowley, Sabhbh Curran and Anna Weguelin. I feel so fortunate to have such brilliant and dedicated people in my corner.

Thank you to my colleagues and clients at SD, all of whom make me sincerely grateful, on a daily basis, for my unique version of law firm life.

Thank you to the organisers of, and participants in, the Edinburgh Writers’ Forum and the Scottish Book Trust’s ‘Debut Lab’ 2022. So many authors talk about the problem of isolation, and I’m thrilled to have found a community amongst you all.

Similarly, thank you Marie Taylor, Lizzie Sparks, Clare Devlin, Sara McLaughlin, Fionnghuala Murphy-McEwan, Sarah McHugh, Mary-Jane Byrne, Heather Darwent and Kristin Cooper. I’m sure I’ve omitted people accidentally here. In short, if you are a woman and you are my friend, and you’ve ever let me hijack a perfectly nice lunch by talking at length about my novel (including, but not limited to, such subjects as: what should it be called, how should it end, will anyone buy it, does this even make sense?) then I appreciate every minute.

Thank you, Matthew, Caitlin and Daniel for being the smartest, coolest, best company (since birth). I love you.

Thank you, Charlie. You really haven’t assisted at all with this book, and you don’t know much about blue whales, but you’ve otherwise turned out to be a nice addition I’d say.

Thank you, Caitriona, Mum and Dad, for absolutely everything.