'Luke (L J) Kendall has always wanted to write. He felt he’d know the moment to start, when the big idea or amazing character turned up. That happened for him around 1990, when he started writing, long hand, the first raw draft of Leeth. His wife Stella (an amazing woman) had a PhD in English and was an experienced tech writer, so he was dismayed to receive his first typed-up and polished version of the manuscript pretty well covered in red ink. However, after years more polishing, Luke entered it into the inaugural George Turner Prize, making it to the 1998 shortlist of ten finalists.' (Introduction)