Martyn Lyons was born in London and now lives in Sydney, where he is Professor of History and European Studies at the University of New South Wales. He has published books and articles in both French revolutionary history, and in the history of the book. Recent works related to the history of reading and writing include Readers and Society in Ninteteenth-Century France (2001). Penny Russell is a Senior Lecturer in History at the University of Sydney where she teaches aspects of Australian history, women's history, scandal and autobiography. She has published widely in Australian colonial history, the use of women's private writings as historical sources and on the life of Lady Jane Franklin. Her publications include A Wish of Distinction: Colonial Gentility and Femininity (1994) and This Errant Lady: Jane Franklin's Overland Journey to Port Philip and Sydney (2002).