It was 1997, I was studying philosophy at La Trobe University, and one of my tutors asked me if I would help him write a book on murderers because he liked the way I put forward arguments in his class. I said yes, but the holidays began. I partied and forgot all about it. When uni was about to begin, I thought I had better start. I decided to write about the Jack the Ripper murder mystery. I thought it would be easy to research. About 2 weeks later, I was reading a poem by the English poet Francis Thompson. I had never heard of him before, but decided I would get a small book on him. It was on a long tram ride, and when I had finished one of his poems I thought that he could be Jack the Ripper, so I began to research this poet, looking for information showing that he could not have done it. I only found information that showed he might be the Ripper. 20 years later and around the world research, it became a book.

Richard