We are grateful to colleagues who have worked with us over the years in the Mattick lab and beyond. So many have contributed to the ideas and findings that have constituted our body of work, and the background to this book, that it is hard to single out individuals, but we particularly thank Marcel Dinger, Tim Mercer, Mike Pheasant and Ryan Taft, as well as John Rinn, a pioneer of RNA biology with whom we have collaborated on many occasions.

We wish to thank several funding agencies and institutions for their support during the preparation and writing of this book, in particular (JM) Green Templeton College Oxford and UNSW Sydney; and (PA) the Brocher Foundation (which granted him a residency to conduct research for the book in the summer of 2019); the Royal Society Newton International Fellowship, Corpus Christi College and Borysiewicz Biomedical Sciences Fellowship (University of Cambridge); and Insper Institute of Education and Research in São Paulo, Brazil.

We posthumously thank Denise Barlow for encouraging us to prepare this book in the initial stages of our endeavor. We also thank the following people, who have been kind enough to read sections of the manuscript, provide advice and identify errors: Bill Amos, Mandy Ballinger, Andy Bannister, Tim Bredy, Piero Carninci, Lindy Castell, Don Chambers, Kay Davies, Caroline Dean, Marcel Dinger, Tommaso Leonardi, Gonçalo Castelo-Branco, Laurence Hurst, Thomas Mailund, Mick McManus, Michael Morgan, Helder Nakaya, John Rinn, Jeff Rosen, Klaus Scherrer, Phillip Sharp, John Shine, Joan Steitz, Grant Sutherland, Jai Tree, David Thomas, David Tremethick, Carl Walkley, Robert Weatheritt and Eric Westhof. Of course, any remaining errors or important omissions, which are almost inevitable in a book of such broad sweep, are ours alone, and we welcome feedback to correct them.

Finally, John thanks his wife Louise, his family, colleagues and friends, and likewise Paulo thanks Dóris P. Amaral, his family, colleagues and friends, for their steadfast support, encouragement and forbearance during this journey.

The authors, some time ago.

“The things that you’re liable to read in the Bible … ain’t necessarily so.”

(Ira Gershwin, Porgy & Bess 1935)