Andrew O’Hagan was born in 1968 in Glasgow. In 1995 he wrote THE MISSING and in 1999 he published his first novel, OUR FATHERS, which was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, the Whitbread First Novel Award, the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize, and was winner of the Holtby Prize for Fiction.

Jane Koustas Jane Koustas is currently serving as the Craig Dobbin Professor of Canadian Studies at University College Dublin. She is a Professor in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures at Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario where she also directed Canadian Studies. Professor Koustas’ research interests include English-Canadian literature in translation, translation theory and practice, translation history in Canada Quebec theatre and theatre translation. She is the co-editor of two books, Robert Lepage: Théâtre sans fronti res: essays on the dramatic universe of Robert Lepage with Joe Donohoe and Vision/Division: l’oeuvre de Nancy Huston with Marta Dvorak. She has published numerous articles in journals such as The University of Toronto Quarterly, Quebec Studies, Theatre Research in Canada, Traduction, Terminologie, Rédaction and Annuaire théâtral. Professor Koustas has served on the jury of the Governor General’s Literary Awards and the Quebec Writers’ Federation Translation Award.

Mary O’Donnell is a poet, novelist, translator and critic who is based in Co. Kildare, Ireland. She has published four volumes of poetry, most recently September Elegies (2003) and has presented several series of poetry programmes for the Irish national broadcaster, RTE. Her critically acclaimed third novel, The Elysium Testament, appeared in 1999. Her work has been published in literary magazines and journals in Ireland, the UK and the USA and anthologised in collections in Ireland and abroad. She recently presented ‘Crossing the Lines’, a series of radio programmes on European poetry in translation. Mary is a member of Aosdana – membership of this organisation of 200 living Irish artists is by peer nomination and election.

Paolo Ruffilli was born in 1949. Attended the University of Bologna, where he studied modern literature. After a period of teaching, he became editor with the publisher Garzanti in Milan, and is presently the general editor of the Edizioni del Leone in Venice. Beginning in 1972, he has published nine volumes of poetry. The more recent: Piccola colazione (1987, American Poetry Prize, in english translation Malaria, Poetry Chicago 1989, and Story Line Press 1991, now Like it or no, Bordighera Press 2005), Diario di Normandia (1990, Montale Award), Camera oscura (1992, Prix Victor Hugo), Nuvole (1995), La gioia e il lutto (2001, Prix Européen, in english translation Joy and Mourning, Dedalus Press 2004). He published also the novel Preparativi per la partenza (2003), essays, novels and translations from English.