Fiona Andreallo - Mapping selfies and memes as Touch

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The other side of silence, 2003, black and white photographic image imprints scarred skin mounted on aluminum, image 11 in series of 12. (Work owned and created by author)

This book could not have been written without the support of my colleagues at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University and the University of Sydney. Thank you for your support of all forms in a particularly rough period of my career and throughout severe cutbacks in universities due to the Covid pandemic impact. This book would not have been written without a postdoctoral research grant from the University of Sydney and research support from RMIT University.

A special thank you to colleagues from the Cultural Studies Association of Australasia (CSAA), who have supported my work both with collegial senior advice and financially during the Covid crisis. The support of small grants and mentorship for early career researchers is appreciated more than I can express.

There have been so many people that have encouraged me along this journey. I am particularly grateful to Umberto Ansaldo, who gave me the confidence to start, and thank him for his time and encouragement. Special thanks to Amanda Third for her warmth and advice in the early stages of writing this book. I cannot express how much support Sandra Garrido has been for my transition from PhD to the postdoctoral stage. Chris Chesher has always been genuine and a good friend to me. Thank you, Marius Foley and Vasiliki Veros, for just being kind and friendly, and my Covid screen academic friends who made life tethered to a desk during Covid bearable.

I am incredibly grateful to have known Theo Van Leeuwen and Anne Cranny-Francis in the years leading up to this book. Theo was a wonderful PhD supervisor and continues to be available for coffees, as well as emails of support and advice. His work remains instrumental to mine and many across faculties of academia. Anne was inspirational during my PhD study years at the University of Technology, Sydney, in person as well as through her academic work. Annes work on cultural Touch has been instrumental to this book.

A special call out to Larissa Hjorth, Terri Senft, Paul Frosh, Limor Shifman, Katie Warfield, Ryan Milner and Katrin Tiidenberg. Thank you for your inspirational work that continues to brighten my days and make my brain grow.

My favourite Italian adage acknowledges that it takes Cuervello, Cuore and Coglioni (brains, heart and balls) to succeed. It has taken all three with constant setbacks and challenges over the last years, and my passion has only been allowed to remain kindled by my most cherished Ed, Beth and Iggy, who have accompanied me through my journey. I have dedicated this book to you all because I love you so much, and I hope what I contribute serves to make the future a better place for you all in some way. Keep thinking and laughing and never be silenced.