Victoria Glendinning (Author) Victoria Glendinning is the author of several biographies- Elizabeth Bowen (1977); Edith Sitwell- A Unicorn among Lions (which won the Duff Cooper Memorial Prize and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, 1981); Vita, a life of Vita Sackville-West (joint winner of the Whitbread Award for the best biography, 1983); Rebecca West (1987); Jonathan Swift (1998) and Trollope. Irvine Welsh (Author) Irvine Welsh was born and raised in Edinburgh. His first novel, Trainspotting, has sold over one million copies in the UK and was adapted into an era-defining film. He has written thirteen further novels, including the number one bestseller Dead Men's Trousers, four books of shorter fiction and numerous plays and screenplays. Crime and The Long Knives have been adapted into a television series starring Dougray Scott as Ray Lennox. Irvine Welsh currently lives between London, Edinburgh and Miami. Tony Hawks (Author) Tony Hawks lives in London. He leads a diverse life and has various 'jobs', such as performing stand up comedy, appearing as a panellist on TV and radio (Have I Got News For You, Just A Minute, I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue), acting, writing, playing tennis, and making music. Giles Foden (Author) All of the writers are bestselling authors and critically acclaimed. Andrew O'Hagan (Author) Monica Ali- Granta's 2003 Best of Young British; Brick Lane was a Sunday Times bestseller; Irvine Welsh- Trainspotting, Filth, Porno; Tony Hawks- Round Ireland with a Fridge, Playing the Moldovans at Tennis, One Hit Wonderland; Victoria Glendinning- biographies of Anthony Trollope, Vita Sackville-West and Rebecca West and novels, The Grown Ups, Electricity, Flight; Jenny Colgan- best-selling chick-lit novelist including Amanda's Wedding and Looking For Andrew McCarthy. Simon Garfield- prize-winning journalist The Nation's Favourite- The True Adventures of Radio 1, Mauve, Last Journey of William Huskisson; Bill Deedes- distinguished journalist, recently author of 'At War with Waugh'; Colm Toibin- celebrated Irish author The South, The Heather Blazing, The Blackwater Lightship shortlisted for Booker; Michael Atherton- former captain of the England cricket team, bestselling autobiography Opening Up; Bella Bathurst- regular contributor to The Guardian and author of both highly acclaimed non-fiction, The Lighthouse Stevensons, and fiction, Special; Edited by Andrew O'Hagan Our Father shortlisted for Booker & Whitbread, latest novel Personality, Granta 2003 Best Young British Writer. Alex Garland (Author) All of the writers are bestselling authors and critically acclaimed. W F Deedes (Author) All of the writers are bestselling authors and critically acclaimed.