I have accumulated many debts as I have worked on this book. I am particularly indebted to all the contributors without whose work and infinite patience this volume would not have been possible. They believed in the project and my ability to see it through to publication, even after unavoidable delays due to pregnancy complications followed by having to care for an ill baby. For your faith and unwavering trust I thank you deeply. The book has followed closely the life of my child, from conception in 2009 as I organised a conference on Identity and Form at Sheffield Hallam University through to wellness and publication. Without the conference there would not be a collection today, so I am grateful to all those who helped me organise it, most of all to my coorganiser, Rebecca Mallett, and colleagues in English who were enthusiastic and offered support, including Alice Bell, Annaliese Connolly, Claire Drewery, Steve Earnshaw and Harriet Tarlo, as well as Samm Wharam at the research office who worked tirelessly and found resources in the most unexpected places and Nick Hodge who helped Rebecca and I apply for funding. Gemma Tissington (neé Bradshaw) from Yorkshire South (Shef- field Convention Bureau) offered invaluable logistic support. The Humanities Research Institute and its head, Chris Hopkins, have been behind the project from the beginning, providing financial assistance as well as research leave to complete it. Chris Hopkins not only helped, he also mentored me and provided endless optimism when I needed it most. I am also grateful to the staff at Routledge. Successive Editors for Routledge Research, Liz Levine and Emily Ross, believed in the project from the start and saw it to completion. Andrew Weckenmann and Michael Watters have patiently answered all my queries throughout the process. The anonymous readers of the manuscript offered invaluable advice to improve the collection.