Alev Scott studied Classics at New College, Oxford, where she was taught by Robin Lane Fox. Alev taught herself Turkish and immersed herself in the Turkish side of her heritage and wrote the widely acclaimed Ottoman Odyssey. She has since reported from Turkey for a wide number of newspapers, most specifically for the Financial Times.

Andronike Makres is a founding member of the Hellenic Education & Research Center in Athens. She graduated from the University of Athens and holds a doctorate in Ancient History from Oxford University. She lives in Athens.