Fanny Blake was a publisher for many years, editing both fiction and non-fiction before becoming a freelance journalist and writer. She has written various non-fiction titles, acted as ghost writer for a number of celebrities, and is a former books editor of Woman & Home magazine. She has been a judge of a number of literary prizes, including the Costa First Novel award, the Desmond Elliott Award, the RNA Romantic Novel of the Year award and the British Book Awards. She is also the commissioning editor for Quick Reads and a book reviewer.

Mark Watson is an acclaimed novelist and comedian, best-known for his appearances on Mock the Week, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Have I Got News for You and Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow as well as the Edinburgh Fringe. In 2010 his 50-date solo stand-up tour will play to over 60,000 people.

Eva Verde is a writer from East London. Identity, class and female rage are recurring themes throughout her work. She has published two novels with Simon & Schuster: Lives Like Mine and In Bloom. Her third novel, Them Girls, is out in summer 2026.

Eva's love song to libraries, I Am Not Your Tituba forms part of Kit De Waal's Common People: An Anthology of Working-Class Writers. Her words have featured in Marie Claire, Grazia, Elle and The Big Issue, also penning the new foreword for the international bestselling author Jackie Collins Goddess of Vengeance.

Eva lives in Essex with her husband, children and dog.

Twitter @Evakinder

Instagram @evakinderwrites

Richard Madeley left school at 16 to be a cub reporter on his local paper. By 19 he was a deputy editor, and that same year joined BBC local radio in the newsroom. He went on to work as a reporter/presenter for Border Television, Yorkshire Television (where he covered the Peter Sutcliffe serial murders) and Granada Television, meeting fellow reporter and wife-to-be Judy Finnigan. The two went on to launch ITV's This Morning programme, and after 13 years joined Channel Four for their eponymous teatime series, which ran for eight years. Richard now works as a freelance, covering for Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain, Michael Ball on Radio 2, and live TalkRadio programmes. He has written three Sunday Times top ten bestsellers and is currently working on his fourth novel. He and his wife have run the hugely influential Richard&Judy Book Club in association with WHSmith since 2010.

Rachel Hore worked in London publishing for many years before moving with her family to Norwich, where she taught publishing and creative writing at the University of East Anglia until deciding to become a full-time writer. The Secrets of Dragonfly Lodge is her fourteenth novel. She is married to the writer D.J. Taylor and they have three sons. Visit her at RachelHore.co.uk and connect with her on X @RachelHore and instagram @rachel.hore.