David Nicholls is an award-winning author and screenwriter. He trained as an actor before making the switch to writing. He is the author of five novels: Starter for Ten (2003), the story of Brian Jackson, who arrives at University with the burning ambition of appearing on University Challenge; The Understudy (2005); One Day (2009), a love story spanning 20 years; Us (2014), a picaresque about a couple travelling Europe in a bid to save their marriage; and Sweet Sorrow (2020). One Day won the Galaxy National Book Award (Book of the Year), and Us was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. David has continued to write for film and TV as well as writing novels, and he has twice been nominated for BAFTA awards; first for Much Ado About Nothing, an updated version of the Shakespearean comedy, starring Damian Lewis and Sarah Parrish; and an adaptation of Tess of the D'Urbevilles in 2008.

Monica Ali is a bestselling writer whose work has been translated into 26 languages. She is the author of five books: Brick Lane, Alentejo Blue, In the Kitchen, Untold Story and Love Marriage. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and in 2003 was named as one of Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists. She has been nominated for the Booker Prize, the George Orwell Prize and the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. Monica is currently adapting her fifth novel, Love Marriage, for television in conjunction with New Pictures.

Roger McGough is, according to Carol Ann Duffy, “the patron saint of poetry." The legendary poet, performer and broadcaster was one of the Liverpool Poets, and has published over 100 poetry books for adults and children. He has won numerous awards including The Cholmondeley Award in 1988, received the Freedom of the City of Liverpool in 2001, and was awarded a CBE in 2004. He is a Fellow of The Royal Society and President of The Poetry Society, he also presents the popular Radio 4 Poetry Please series.

Nikki Bedi is an international broadcaster with a passion for making arts and culture accessible. She’s been described as a ‘culture courier who is decolonising the world one show at a time’. Nikki curates, writes and presents The Arts Hour on the BBC World Service. On BBC Radio 4 she presents Saturday Live and on television she travels the globe for the new BBC World News series Encounter Culture. She was the first person to speak in Hindi as a panellist on QI, and in her spare time she watches inordinate amounts of TV.