The Lookout: Beyond the Stars

Since that first workshop, I have volunteered at Fighting Words whenever I can. I have always left that big bright room inspired, uplifted and with a joyful heart. This book is my thank you to the centre, for creating a haven of the imagination – my love letter to Fighting Words if you like. I hope they will allow me to continue to be a small part of the magic for many years to come. A huge thank you must also go to Roddy Doyle and Sean Love for their help with this book.

Beyond the Stars would not exist without the superstar writers and illustrators behind this collection – all of whom said yes to contributing without hesitation. Yes, Chris Haughton, it was a little like “herding cats” at times, but very cool and lovely cats! Thanks to the team: Roddy Doyle and Steve Simpson; Derek Landy and Alan Clarke; John Boyne and Paul Howard; Judi Curtin and Chris Judge; Eoin Colfer and Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick; Marita Conlon-McKenna and P. J. Lynch; Michael Scott and Chris Haughton; Gordon Snell and Michael Emberley; Celine Kiernan and Tatyana Feeney; Oisín McGann; Siobhán Parkinson and Olwyn Whelan; and finally, Niamh Sharkey, who illustrated our competition-winner Emma Brade’s story. Mammoth thanks also to Ruth Alltimes, Mary Byrne and their supernova team at HarperCollins Children’s Books for their hard work and support of what is a highly unusual project. And to my wonderful agent, Philippa Milnes-Smith, for her hand-holding and enthusiasm for the book.

As the Irish writer Oscar Wilde once said: “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” With your wonderful work for this collection, you have all reached for the stars, and ‘Beyond’. Together, we have created a glowing universe of space dogs and ice queens, invisible cats and warriors brave.

Now it is up to you, dear reader, to continue the journey. Read the magical stories within these pages and let your imagination fly.

Sarah Webb

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Eoin Colfer is best known for the Artemis Fowl series, which has topped the bestseller lists around the world and won numerous awards. He has also written the WARP series and the Legends series for younger readers, as well as crime books for adults. He lives in Wexford, Ireland, with his wife Jackie, his sons Finn and Seán and an overactive imagination. Eoin is currently the Irish Children’s Laureate, Laureate na nÓg.

Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick is an author and illustrator. Her publications include the picture books There, The Sleeping Giant, I’m a Tiger Too! and I Am I, and the novels Timecatcher, Dark Warning and Hagwitch. Her work has won the CBI Book of the Year Award four times. Marie-Louise lives in County Wicklow, Ireland.

I am writing this down because Dick is such a pain in the neck. Everything has to be his way or go back to where you came from. He would break the sky if he could, and throw back the waves from the black rocks below our hut. He is what we call stubborn as a bent nail, with a look in his eyes that would scare cows. And cows are generally too stupid to be scared even on their way to the slaughterhouse. Dick says write it down. So I am.