Chris Morash is the Seamus Heaney Professor of Irish Writing in Trinity College Dublin.  His most recent book, Dublin: A Writer’s City was published in 2023. He is currently editing the Cambridge History of the Irish Novel and writing a new book about Irish literary salons.  He was the 2022 Macgeorge Fellow at the University of Melbourne, and curated the Unseen Plays series for the Abbey Theatre (2021).

Fiona Sze-Lorrain is a multifaceted writer, poet, translator, musician, and editor known for her distinctive voice across genres and cultures. She stands out as one of the few English-language women writers adept in multiple artistic expressions, crafting and translating works in English, French, and Chinese.

Her literary contributions include the novel-in-stories Dear Chrysanthemums (Scribner, 2023), five poetry collections—most recently Rain in Plural (Princeton, 2020) and The Ruined Elegance (Princeton, 2016)—as well as fifteen books of translation and three coedited anthologies of international literature. Sze-Lorrain’s exceptional talent has garnered significant recognition; she was longlisted for the 2024 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction and has been a finalist for prestigious awards such as the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, the Best Translated Book Award, and the Derek Walcott Poetry Prize.

A 2019–20 Abigail R. Cohen Fellow at the Columbia University Institute for Ideas and Imagination, Sze-Lorrain also served as the inaugural writer-in-residence at the Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires. She currently resides in Paris, where she is an editor at Vif Éditions. In addition to her literary pursuits, Sze-Lorrain is an accomplished zheng harpist, performing widely across Europe, Asia, and the United States. Her expertise extends beyond the arts into negotiation, mediation, and conflict resolution. For more information, visit www.fionasze.com.

Born in 1962, Gerbrand Bakker is a celebrated Dutch author whose diverse background enriches his literary voice. After studying Dutch language and literature, he began his career as a subtitler for nature films before discovering his passion for gardening. Bakker is the third son of a Dutch farmer and has also worked as a landscape gardener and an ice speedskating trainer.

Bakker’s literary acclaim includes winning the prestigious 2010 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award for his novel The Twin (Vintage, 2009) and the 2013 Independent Foreign Fiction Prize for The Detour (Vintage, 2013). His other notable works include June and the recent release, The Hairdresser’s Son.

In exciting news, The Detour is set to be adapted into a film, scheduled to be shot in Wales in 2025. In addition to his novels, Bakker contributes to the literary world as a columnist and translator, further showcasing his multifaceted talents.

Leonard Cassuto is a multifaceted scholar, serving as a professor of American literature at Fordham University, a freelance literary journalist, and a columnist on graduate education for The Chronicle of Higher Education. Through his contributions to the latter, he has emerged as a prominent advocate for reform in graduate education.

With a prolific career, Cassuto has written or edited ten books covering diverse topics, including race and slavery, detective fiction, and graduate education. He also serves as the General Editor of The Cambridge History of the American Novel. In addition to his academic work, Len’s writings span various subjects, including science, music, and sports.

His latest book, Academic Writing as if Readers Matter (Princeton, 2024), reflects his wide-ranging interests and serves as both a call to action and a practical guide for academic writing. It emphasizes the importance of engaging with diverse audiences to foster community and serve the public good.

Martina Devlin is an award-winning author and newspaper columnist renowned for her diverse body of work, which includes nine novels, two non-fiction books, a collection of short stories, and two plays. Her latest novel, Charlotte,  published by The Lillliput Press in September 2024, delves into the life of the iconic writer Charlotte Brontë.

Devlin’s other notable novels include Edith, which explores the life of Edith Somerville, co-author of The Irish R.M., and The House Where It Happened, a historical fiction piece centred on the 1711 Islandmagee witchcraft trial. This work contributed to her campaign that resulted in a plaque being erected to honour those who were wrongfully convicted.

In addition to her literary pursuits, Devlin writes a weekly current affairs column for the Irish Independent. She holds a PhD in literary practice from Trinity College Dublin, further showcasing her expertise and commitment to the craft of writing.

Nidhi Zak/Aria Eipe is a poet, pacifist, and fabulist whose debut collection, Auguries of a Minor God, was published by Faber & Faber in 2021. With a commitment to amplifying diverse voices in literature, Nidhi serves as the commissioning editor at Skein Press, poetry editor at Fallow Media, and contributing editor at The Stinging Fly.

As a Next Generation Artist with the Arts Council of Ireland, she founded the Play It Forward Fellowships, which support writers traditionally underrepresented in Irish literature and publishing. Nidhi’s dedication to peace and conflict resolution is evident in her role as a Global Peace Ambassador with the Institute for Economics & Peace. She has received numerous accolades, including being a Davis United World College Scholar, a Davis Nuclear Nonproliferation Studies Fellow, and a Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Peace and Conflict Fellow.

Currently, Nidhi is a member of the Expert Advisory Committee to Culture Ireland and sits on the Board of the Dublin Book Festival. She divides her time between the eastern coasts of Ireland, the Blue Hill Peninsula, and the Arabian Peninsula, weaving her experiences into her literary work.