Glenn Patterson was born, and lives, in Belfast. He is the author of seven novels: Burning Your Own (1988), Fat Lad (1992), Black Night at Big Thunder Mountain (1995), The International (1999), Number 5 (2003), That Which Was (2004), and The Third Party (2007). His non-fiction works are Lapsed Protestant (2006), and Once Upon a Hill: Love in Troubled Times (2008). His first film, Good Vibrations (co-written with Colin Carberry) is currently in post-production. A new novel, The Mill for Grinding Old People Young, will be published by Faber & Faber in spring 2012.

James Ryan’s first novel Home from England was published by Phoenix House, London in 1995. Dismantling Mr Doyle followed in 1997 and his third novel, Seeds of Doubt, was published by Weidenfeld and Nicolson in 2001. South of the Border, his most recent novel was short listed for the 2008 Kerry Group Literary prize. In addition, he has written film scripts, memoir based essays and academic papers. A graduate of Trinity College, Dublin, his postgraduate studies, also at Trinity, focused primarily on creative development in the context of formal education. He is a lecturer in the School of English, Drama and Film in UCD, currently directing the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes [MA & MFA] in creative writing. He is also director of the Faber & Faber Academy in Dublin. He is married with two children, Matt and Alice and is based in Dublin, but, together with his family, spends a good deal of time in their home in Aghaboe, Co Laois.