The idea for this volume emerged during a tea break on a workshop in Cairns. The vibrant atmosphere there and the great hospitality of Sasha Aikhenvald, one of the convenors, were the conditions under which our secret plan to edit a volume for Sasha was developed. Since then, we have been supported in a most special way by a large of group of colleagues. We remain deeply grateful to all contributors of this volume for their great chapters that were wonderful to read and to bring together in this book. And we are greatly indebted to Mary Chambers for the fantastic job she did in proofreading and commenting on the entire volume, and to Paulin Baraka Bose and Max Grötzinger who so competently assisted us in formatting—without the three of them we would have had a tough time. Our heartfelt thanks are due, last but not least, to Elisa Perotti for looking after our volume so well. It was a good experience, which leaves us contented and grateful, hoping the addressee of it all will love this book too.
Anne Storch and R.M.W. Dixon
September 2021