Freshmen Read online

  We owe at least one round of Jägerbombs to all the following people:

  Everyone at Chicken House for being amazing as always. Our fantastic editor Rachel Leyshon, who suggested so many of the best twists and turns and various other things in this novel: we bloody love you, Rachel. Huge, huge thank-yous also to Barry, Rachel H, Elinor, Jazz, Esther, Kesia and Laura for being brilliant and for doing so much for us. We really appreciate it.

  Our incredible agent, Kirsty McLachlan, for being a constant source of advice, support and highly reassuring phone chats throughout the entire writing process.

  All our mates who either experienced the stuff in this book alongside us, or generously donated their stories, or just sat in various pubs with us over the past two years, reminiscing about all aspects of uni life. Most notably: Laura Allsop, James Amos, Kate Baker, Max Baldwin, Jonathan Bray, Chris Carroll, Alexie Cottam, Jonathan Driscoll, Louise Gaskell, Yasmina Green, Christina Heaps, Harvey Horner, Ryan Kohn, Tim Lee, Michael Lindall, Robin Pasricha, Jodie Peake, Neil Redford, Matthew Sharkey, Ed Shirley, Jeremy Stubbings, Ella Sunyer, Peter Todd and Alex Trotter.

  Shauna Kavanagh for WAY too much to mention, really, but here goes: reading countless drafts, offering phenomenal (and vitally useful) feedback, explaining to us what the hell Snapchat is (even though we still don’t really get it) and providing us with high-quality tea and biscuits on our recce in York. You were a massive part of this book, Shauna, and we owe you big-time. You are a truly amazing and inspirational person. THANK YOU.

  Vanessa Long for very kindly having us to stay and buying us Bettys treats when we went back to York to illegally break into Derwent halls and relive our youth.

  Holly Bourne and Anna McCleery for reading early drafts and giving us invaluable feedback. You are both proper legends.

  Families Ellen and Ivison for being a great bunch of lads and giving us so much love and support.

  Diana, Rosey and Jessyka Battle for cups of tea and teen angst.

  Everybody in the ridiculously supportive and amazing UKYA and UKMG communities, most notably: Emma Shevah, Non Pratt, Lisa Williamson, Juno Dawson, Liz Hyder, Maura Brickell, Nina Douglas, bloggers extraordinaire Jim & Debbie, Peter Bunzl, Honor & Perdita Cargill and Abi Elphinstone.

  Kate Sullivan, Allison Hellegers and Myrthe Spiteri for their fantastic support from the US and the Netherlands, and generally just for being awesome.

  Tom would also like to thank Anna Hards and Laura Yogasundram for their friendship and general greatness over the past fifteen years, and also for kindly donating Interesting Thought Boy (and so, so much more…).

  And Lucy would like to thank Richard for sacking off Cambridge to come to York and sit on bridges with me. As well as reminding me of a million ways we were in the Autumn of 2001.

  Plus, Frankie Colborne-Malpas for being Frankie. I am writing this just as you are (supposed to be) revising for your A-levels and have all of the freshers’ experience to come. I can’t wait to hear about how the real Frankie lollops through it all. You are an extremely special, talented and hilarious person and I will always, always want to know what you are up to, so don’t forget who your librarian is when you make it to the big time….

  And to Negin Tellaie for being inspirationally brave and brilliantly witty. Thank you for letting me borrow you as my inspiration for Negin. I hope you like her.

  The Francis Holland class of 2017 for telling me their university hopes and dreams. Most notably: Lily Carr-Gomm for being a first-draft reader, Bella, Alice, Issy, Renata, Marina, Lydia, Phoebe, Andrea and, of course, the best library prefects a gal could wish for, Alix Sharp and Lily Sayre.

  The staff at Francis Holland who are the most supportive and lovely people anyone could wish to work with. I am so lucky to be a person who never wakes up and doesn’t want to go to work, even when I’ve been writing all weekend. Your constant support and cake provision keeps me going. Tally, Cat, Pip, Jo, Dorian, Tash and my 11+ sisters Raff and Caroline all made writing this book a little bit more fun. I would also like to formally acknowledge my head teacher, Lucy Elphinstone, who has always supported me as a writer as well as a librarian. I wouldn’t be able to pursue both of my passions without her help and understanding.

  And, lastly, from both of us, to all our Derwent College friends from 2001 to 2005. This one is for you….

  ABOUT THE AUTHORS

  Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison met at the end of high school and quickly became sweethearts. Though they broke up in college, they remain best friends. Lucy is a librarian at a girls’ school in central London, where she gets most of her inspiration. Tom is a journalist and has written for Time Out, Vice, ESPN, Glamour, and many other publications. Their first book, A Totally Awkward Love Story, was partially inspired by their own high school relationship, with Tom writing Sam’s chapters and Lucy writing Hannah’s. Freshmen is their second novel together.

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