Neil Bartlett is a novelist and theatre-director. His 2007 novel 'Skin Lane' was shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award, and his new novel, 'The Disappearance Boy', is being published by Bloomsbury in July 2014. He has two honorary degrees (from Oxford Brookes and Brighton), bestowed in recognition of his pioneering and continued commitment to gay culture and civil rights, and was awarded an OBE in 2000 for his work as Artistic Director of the Lyric Hammersmith. You can find out more about Neil and his work at neil-bartlett.com

Kate Pullinger is a novelist and digital writer. Her 2009 novel 'The Mistress of Nothing' won Canada's Governor General's Award for Fiction; her new novel, 'Landing Gear', is published in April 2014. She has been at the forefront of literary digital innovation and participatory media for more than a decade; her ongoing web projects, 'Inanimate Alice' and 'Flight Paths: a Networked Novel', have gathered readers from around the world. She is Professor of Creative Writing and Digital Media at Bath Spa University. Find her at katepullinger.com