See also Me, John and a Bomb: About | Extracts | Reviews | Other books by Debi Alper

As I was writing Me, John and a Bomb in 2004/5, I was very aware of the contemporary issues. Writing a book set in London where the main character (Sky) is a woman obsessed by explosives, meant I always knew that events in the real world might suddenly overtake the narrative and force me to adapt the book.

So when I made my way into work at Aldgate on 7th July 2005, the implications – for my book at least – were clear as soon as we all knew what we were dealing with; bombs on the tube and on London’s streets. Nothing would ever be the same again.