A doctor of neuroscience by training and a former Royal Society fellow at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Rachel Genn's debut novel The Cure was published by Corsair in 2011. Her second novel, What You Could Have Won, is due for publication in 2020 by Sheffield-based publisher And Other Stories. She teaches creative writing MA programmes at Sheffield and the Manchester Writing School.

Keith Hutson's much anticipated debut collection, Baldwin's Catholic Geese, was published to acclaim by Bloodaxe in 2019. A prolific comedy writer for stand-ups including Les Dawson and Frankie Howerd and a scriptwriter for Coronation Street, Keith has had more than 150 poems published in journals and anthologies. His pamphlet, Troupers, was selected by Carol Ann Duffy as a Laureate's Choice publication.