ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Many friends and colleagues have given support, advice and help during the course of the writing of Labyrinth. It goes without saying that any mistakes, in either fact or interpretation, are mine and mine alone.
My agent, Mark Lucas, was brilliant throughout and gave not only fantastic editorial feedback but copious yellow stickers! Thanks, too, to everyone else at LAW for their hard work and to everybody at ILA, especially Nicki Kennedy, who was patience personified and helped make the process such fun.
At Orion, I’ve been very lucky to have worked with Kate Mills, whose light editorial touch, efficiency and thoughtfulness has made this publication so very enjoyable; and Genevieve Pegg; I’d also like to thank Malcolm Edwards and Susan Lamb, who started the whole thing off, not to mention the hard work, enthusiasm and energy of the marketing, publicity and sales teams, in particular Victoria Singer, Emma Noble and Jo Carpenter.
Both Bob Elliott and Bob Clack, of the Chichester Rifle Club, gave fascinating advice and information about firearms; as did Professor Anthony Moss on medieval warfare.
At the British Library in London, Dr Michelle Brown, Curator of Illuminated Manuscripts, provided invaluable information about medieval manuscripts, parchments and book-making in the thirteenth century; Dr Jonathan Phillips, Senior Lecturer in Medieval History, Royal Holloway, University of London, very kindly read the 695 typescript and gave excellent advice. I’d also like to thank all those who helped at the Bibliothèque de Toulouse and at the Centre National d’Etudes Cathares in Carcassonne.
I’d like to thank all those who have worked with us on the creative reading and writing website –
www.mosselabyrinth.co.uk — based on the historical research and process of writing
Labyrinth over the past couple of years, especially Nat Price and Jōn Hörôdal.
I’m very grateful to my friends for their tolerance about my long-time obsessions with the Cathars and Grail legends. In Carcassonne, I’d particularly like to thank Yves and Lydia Guyou for their insights into Occitan music and poetry and for introducing me to many of the writers and composers whose work has so inspired me; and Pierre and Chantal Sanchez for their support and friendship over many years. In England, I’d like to mention Jane Gregory, whose enthusiasm way-back-when was so important; Maria Rejt, for being such a great teacher in the first place; as well as Jon Evans, Lucinda Montefiore, Robert Dye, Sarah Mansell, Tim Bouquet, Ali Perrotto, Malcolm Wills, Kate and Bob Hingston and Robert and Maria Pulley.
Most of all, my thanks go to my family. My mother-in-law, Rosie Turner, not only introduced us to Carcassonne in the first place, but while I was writing provided day-today help, practical support and companionship well beyond the call of duty. My love and thanks to my parents, Richard and Barbara Mosse, for always being proud and to my sisters, Caroline Matthews and Beth Huxley, and her husband Mark, for all their support.
Most important, my love and gratitude to my children, Martha and Felix, for their steadfast support and faith. Martha was relentlessly upbeat, positive and encouraging, never doubting that I would finish in the end! Felix not only shared my passion for medieval history, but talked me through the finer points of medieval weapons and siege warfare and made brainy suggestions! I cannot thank either of them enough.
Finally, to Greg. His love and support – not to mention his intellectual, practical and editorial help – made all the difference. As it always does and always has.