Jackie Kay was born in Edinburgh. A poet, novelist and writer of short stories, she has enjoyed great acclaim for her work for both adults and children and was the third modern Makar, the Scottish Poet Laureate from 2016 to 2021. Her first novel Trumpet won the Authors' Club First Novel Award and the Guardian Fiction Prize. She is also the author of three collections of stories with Picador, Why Don't You Stop Talking, Wish I Was Here, and Reality, Reality; two poetry collections, Fiere and Bantam; and her memoir, Red Dust Road. She is Professor of Creative Writing at Newcastle University, and divides her time between Glasgow and Manchester, where she is currently Chancellor of the University of Salford.

Bernardine Evaristo is the author of eight books and numerous other works that span the genres of verse fiction, short fiction, poetry, essays, literary criticism, and radio and theatre drama. Bernardine’s novel Girl, Woman, Other won the Booker Prize 2019, and in 2020 it won the British Book Award’s Author of the Year and Fiction Book of the Year, as well as the Indie Book Award for Fiction. She is currently curating Black Britain: Writing Back a new book series with Penguin UK re-publishing books which have been out of circulation. She is Professor of Creative Writing at Brunel University London and lifetime Vice President of the Royal Society of Literature.

Nona Hendryx is one of the great American music artists of the last six decades. A founding member of Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles, and then of the iconic funk-rock group Labelle, who racked up three gold albums and worldwide platinum hit with the 1975 single “Lady Marmalade”. Her solo career has never ceased innovating and has included eight studio albums, collaborations with the likes of Prince, Peter Gabriel, Talking Heads and more, resulting in several top 10 hits and a Grammy nomination. Hendryx also produces, teaches and writes for theatre and film.