Beatrice Masini was born in Milan. She is a well-known and successful writer of books for children and teens, translated into over 20 languages, from Finnish to Thai. She works as an editor in an Italian publishing group and has translated books such as the Harry Potter saga by J. K. Rowling. In 2004 she received the prestigious Andersen Prize as best children's author of the year.

Oonagh Stransky was born in Paris in 1967 and currently lives in Tuscany. She has translated fiction, poetry and essays for both British and American publishers. The Watercolourist is the second novel that she has team-translated with her daughter, Clarissa Ghelli. Clarissa Ghelli was born in Italy in 1990, attended college in Rome, and is currently doing graduate work in Art Education at Teacher's College, Columbia University, in New York City.