Chris Russell is a writer and musician based in London. Since forming The Lightyears in his teens he has toured the world, playing everywhere from Wembley Stadium to Glastonbury Festival. He has worked as a music reviewer and features writer, and is currently writer-in-residence for Byte the Book. As well as Mockstars, Chris is also the author of a successful series of novels for young adults: Songs About a Girl, Songs About a Boy and Songs About Us.

Castle Freeman, Jr. is the author of five novels, including the critically acclaimed Go With Me, which has been made into a film starring Anthony Hopkins, as well as two short-story collections. For thirty years he contributed pieces on country living in New England in The Old Farmer’s Almanac, and he has lived rural Vermont since 1975.

Paul Flower was born and raised in Michigan and still resides there. He has been writing professionally for more than 37 years. While much of his career has been spent in advertising and marketing, he worked in broadcasting for a short time. Paul has one previously published novel to his credit, and his writing has appeared in national and regional magazines. He and his wife have four grown children and a rapidly evolving number of incredibly beautiful and intelligent grandchildren.

Mark Hebden, who died in 1991, was one of the pen names of John Harris, author of The Sea Shall Not Have Them and Covenant with Death. He also wrote adventure stories under the name of Max Hennessy.

Before becoming a full-time writer, he was a sailor, an airman, a journalist, a travel courier and a history teacher. During World War II he served with two forces and two navies. Hebden is a master of his genre, and his writing is as timeless as it is versatile and entertaining.

Josie Long is a writer and a stand-up comedian. She won the Best Newcomer award at Edinburgh Fringe Festival and has been nominated three times for Best Show. She was born in Kent in 1982 and studied English at Oxford University. She currently lives in Glasgow.

Kathy Lette has written 20 books, including 14 best-selling novels, the first of which was Puberty Blues and the latest of which is Till Death – or a little light maiming – Do Us Part. She is published in over 17 languages. Her books have been made into films, TV series and an opera. She also works as a TV presenter and a travel writer.

Victor Canning was a prolific writer throughout his career, which began young: he had sold several short stories by the age of nineteen and his first novel, Mr Finchley Discovers His England (1934) was published when he was twenty-three. It proved to be a runaway bestseller. Canning also wrote for children: his trilogy The Runaways was adapted for US children’s television. Canning’s later thrillers were darker and more complex than his earlier work and received further critical acclaim.

Paula Lennon writes in multiple genres including contemporary crime, historical fiction, and magical realism. She was longlisted for the Historical Writers Association/Sharpe Books Unpublished Novel Award, and was a finalist in the ScreenCraft Cinematic Book Competition. Her Jamaican detective trilogy is published by Joffe Books.

Lucy Vine is the best-selling author of Hot Mess, What Fresh Hell, Are We Nearly There Yet?, Bad Choices, and Seven Exes. Her books have been bought in 17 territories and optioned for TV/film.