'Teacher Michael Thomas reflects on the unexpected journey toward publication of his novel When I retired from teaching in 2021, it occurred to me to write a memoir – a recollection of humorous tales from 40 years in the classroom. The one about the time I left 30 students at the swimming pool and wondered where they’d got to, or the time I chased a dugite (a species of venomous, potentially lethal, snake native to Western Australia) from the science lab with a gaggle of screaming children standing on their desks. Not the stuff for a riveting book to be sure.' (Introduction)