A Poet and Bin-Laden

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

I am indebted to all those who helped me with this book and first of all to my wife Razia Sultanova and children Rano and Daniar Ismailov, to Andrew Bromfield who beautifully translated the novel and Richard McKane who translated the poems, as well as to Hugh Barnes who wrote a Preface. Monica Whitlock, John Spurling, Jill Shoolman and David Halpern kindly agreed to be the critical readers, checking the draft and making useful suggestions along the way. Their input is invaluable, and I am very grateful to them for their support. I am also indebted to late Anne-Marie Schimmel, Resat Niyazi and Shousha Guppy along with my friends Robert Chandler, Philippa Vaughan, Gwyneth Williams, Sian Glaessner and Zia Shakib for their encouragement and help with this book. Many thanks are due also to Lena Chibor, who bravely brought out the Russian version of the book, my agent Marc Koralnik, Liepman Ag, English PEN, Arts Council England, the Publisher Maxim Hodak for his passion and determination in making this book happen, to the Editor Camilla Stein, to the Marketing Manager Yana Kovalskaya and my friends mentioned in the novel.