In no particular order except one here are some people across the world whom I would like to say Merry Christmas to and wish a happy new year: Firstly The Journalist, Omar Kaisy and Aida Kaisy, neighbours James and Gillian and Arlow and Eli, Gidon and Debs and children Jude Kelly Michael Bird Caroline Bird, Mamta Sagar, Joanne Prince and Andy King. To Dave Haslam and Catherine and Railli and Jack; to Nkechi Abili, Chachu, Simon Hattenstone and all the tribe, Mark Atwood, Katy Atwood and Jo Nightingale Atwood and all the children. Sonita Alleyne, gary Younge and family, Shlomo his wife and baby George, Gauri Tripathis and Shashank and children, Gillian Moore and family, Rachel Holmes, David Akinsanya, Kwasi Asante, Helen Taylor and Phil Taylor and the Cambridge family; Merry Christmas and an happy new year to you all.

Duwayne Brooks, Kate Daudy and all family, Maura Dooley, David Hunter and children, Diane Roberts and her children, Shae and Jacob, Gwyneth Davies, Whitney McVeigh and children Marley and Leo. Jamie Byng and Elizabeth Byng and Nathaniel, Dana Bryant in New York and Parvinder Sohal in Accrington, to Adele Jones in Manchester and Rob Jones in London. To Liz Sharpley, Kate McGrath, Nod Knowles, Lisa Dwan, Sally Gross and her flock, to Chris Waterman and Daniel Hahn, Rizwan Ahmed, Nikki Parrott and Baby Dylan, Lebo mashile, Mfundo and Moya, and John McGrath and Shobna Gulati and her dear son; To Rohan Heath and his loving and lovely family and Magesh Padiachee: Merry Christmas and an happy new year to you all.

To my mother Yemarshet Sissay and on my mothers side, my sister TA and neice SA, my brother Mehatem Ashenafi and his wife and child Nayenne and sister Tsahaiwork Ashenafi. On my fathers side my brother Abiyu Stefanos, Mimi Stefanos and Stefanos. On my fathers side my aunts and uncles Girma Stefanos, Daniel Stefanos, Samson Stefanos Belaye Stefanos, Benyam Stefanos, Alemash Stefanos, Asgadet Stefanos and their wives, husbands and children; Merry Christmas and an happy new year to you all.

Merry Christmas to all at English PEN, all at the Poetry Society, all at Apples and Snakes, all at The Arvon Foundation, all at The Booktrust, The literature team at British Council, all at The Southbank Centre, a Merry Christmas and an happy new year to you all. To all at Canongate Books, to Francis Bickmore, also to Paul Beazley and Ruth at 57 productions ; to Ruth Young; To Mike and Warren of Lakinmccarthy entertainment and Gill Lloyd and Chief and all at Artsadmin. I would like to wish Merry Christmas to Deborah May to Gary Crosby OBE and all his family; to all at The Letterbox Club, to Hal Wake at The Vancouver readers and Writers Festival; To all the Artists in residence at Southbank Centre including Gauri Tripathi, Simon Armitage, Tim Casswell and Anna Ricardo of Creative Connections, The Cape Farewell Team, Shlomo, and New Deal Of The Mind. Merry Christmas to Fiona Sampson at Poetry Review and to Maria Kempinska, Merry Christmas and an Happy New Year to you all.

To Becky Swift, Katarina Hedren, Tatiana Prihodova, Philippa Yaa de Villiers, Sally abbott and Michael Begley, Carlos Moore and Ayeola, Hardeep Singh Kholi, Harry Unsworth, Simon Singh and Anita Anand, Mwila, Marcus and Alex, Colin Grant, Mebrak Tareke, Charlie Baker and family. To the readers of my books, blog as and to all on facebook – all of you – to the people who are with me on my journey Merry merry Xmas and a Happy new year with love love love and a little more love Lemnx