Bryan Rostron has lived and worked as a journalist in South Africa, Italy, New York and London. He has written for the New York Times, the Sunday Times of London, the Guardian, the Spectator and was a correspondent for the New Statesman.  Rostron lives in Cape Town. 

With an academic background in English and Psychology, Joanne Jowell began writing professionally at age 28. Her first book, Managing the Quarterlife Crisis: Facing life’s choices in your 20s and 30s, was published in 2003. Joanne lives between the mountain and the sea in Cape Town with her husband and three children. Zephany is her sixth book.

Annerle Barnard grew up in Musina and Wolmaransstad. She studied at NWU, where she completed a BA (Hons) and a HED. After teaching for a few years she moved into the corporate sector. Annerle is married and has two sports mad sons and a wonderful, equally sporty stepdaughter. Annerle enjoys reading, travelling and being in nature. 

Siona O'Connell was born in Cape Town and studied at UCT. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy in African Studies. O’Connell is now based at the University of Pretoria as convener for museum and heritage studies. This programme preserves collections around themes such as history, the human, politics and culture.

Chase Rhys is a twenty-nine-year-old playwright  from Ocean View. He studied drama at UCT and is one of the collaborators at Borderlands – a community arts project creating encounters between segregated communities. Chase’s debut play, Kinnes, was the inaugural winner of the Adam and Rosalie Small Prize Writers in 2017.

Veteran journalist Chris Whitfield is the former editor of the Cape Times, Cape Argus and Weekend Argus, and the former editor-in-chief of Independent Newspapers Cape. His first book was On Your Bike: Tips & trails for MTB riders.

Debbie Loots was born in Polokwane, Limpopo. She holds an honours degree in fine art from Michaelis and a master’s degree in creative writing from UCT. Debbie lives in Cape Town, and works in journalism. Her debut novel, Split, received the ATKV Woordveertjie Prosaprys in 2016.

Jan Scannell – better known as Jan Braai – is a South African institution. His big passion is braaiing. He single-handedly made Heritage Day a celebration of socialising and food by unofficially re-christening it to National Braai Day. After all, the one activity that binds all South Africans together is our love for cooking on open fires.

Elsa Winckler is a popular author of romance novels. She has won the prestigious ATKV Woordveertjie for romance novels for Tussen jazz en rock (LAPA) in 2010, Te eenders, te anders (Satyn) in 2014, and Liefde in laslap (Satyn) in 2016. She lives in Betty’s Bay.

Deon Meyer is a full-time writer living in Stellenbosch. His publications include twelve novels (Wie met vuur speel, 1994, Feniks, 1996, Orion, 2000, Proteus, 2002, Infanta, 2004, Onsigbaar, 2007, 13 Uur, 2008, Spoor, 2010, 7 Dae, 2011, Kobra, 2013, Ikarus, 2015 and Koors, 2016). Orion, Proteus and Infanta all received the ATKV prize for fiction.

Dana Snyman is a much-awarded topselling author, who also writes for Beeld, Rapport and Huisgenoot (South Africa’s biggest magazine). Since 2016, he has also had his own hugely popular television series, Op pad met Dana, which increased his public profile considerably. The fourth season began airing in April 2019.

Chris Karsten started out as a crime journalist and worked for several big South African newspapers. His first novel, Frats, appeared in 2007 and received the ATKV Prize for Prose. In 2011 Abel se ontwaking was awarded the ATKV Prize for Prose and the ATKV Prize for Suspense Literature.