Alberto Manguel OC FRSL is an Argentine-Canadian anthologist, translator, essayist, novelist, editor, and a former director of the National Library of Argentina. He is a cosmopolitan and polyglot scholar, speaking English, Spanish, German, and French fluently, and also Italian and Portuguese at a very advanced level.

One of South Africa’s most distinguished writers, André Brink was born in 1935.

Poet, novelist, essayist and teacher, he began work as a University lecturer in Afrikaans and Dutch Literature in the 1960s. He began writing in Afrikaans, but when censored by the South African government, began to also write in English and became published overseas. He remains a key figure in the modernisation of the Afrikaans language novel.

His book, A Dry White Season (1979), was made into a film starring Marlon Brando while An Instant in the Wind (1976).

André Brink died on 6th February 2015.

Bodil Malmsten was a Swedish poet and novelist. Malmsten was born in Bjärme, Östersund Municipality. Due to her parents’ early separation, she grew up at her maternal grandparents and at foster care in Vällingby, Stockholm. Her paternal grandfather was designer and architect Carl Malmsten.

Julia O’Faolain was born in London. Her novel No Country for Young Men was shortlisted for the 1980 Booker Prize. She was brought up in Cork and Dublin, educated in Paris and Rome and married an American historian in Florence. She lived for many years in the US, before finally settling in London.

Thomas Shapcott is an Australian poet, novelist, playwright, editor, librettist, short story writer and teacher. He has received numerous rewards and accolades for his work, and in 1989 was appointed an Officer (AO) of the Order of Australia.