(1997) is an interdisciplinary PhD candidate at Leiden University. She researches individuals and groups who do not (or no longer) recognise the system or no longer wish to acknowledge it, and explores themes such as modern alienation, nostalgia and our imagination of the future. She also works at De Situatie, the literary platform of PIP The Hague. During the Writers Unlimited Festival 2026, she will be one of the interviewers for the programme Book of My Life, part of Friday Night Unlimited.

(United Kingdom) is a writer, poet, and assistant director for film and television. Her debut novel, I'm a Fan (2022), won the Discover Book of the Year at the British Book Awards. “I stalk a woman on the internet who sleeps with the same man as me.” After this initial confession, a young woman recounts her affair with a successful, married man. When it turns out that he has several mistresses, including an insufferable influencer, she develops an obsession not only with the man, but also with his popular mistress. It culminates in a fiery story about desire, love, and an unequal power dynamic. The narrator keeps a close eye on the Instagrammer's social media and her friends minute by minute. The Guardian: “A fizzing debut that's hard to put down. Patel's searing novel skitters through a world of toxic exes, mean girls, and bad jobs—and it's addictive.”

Instagram: @imightbesheenapatel