(1971, Makassar, Indonesia) as a writer and journalist always tries to work from a female perspective. She published her first book, a novella, when she was still in high school. In her first book of short stories, Makkunrai (2008), the relationship between man and woman, corruption and political conflict are the important themes. When the book appeared she launched the Makkunrai Project with which she draws attention to gender related problems through literature and readings. In her second collection of short stories, Maisaura (2008), she took media news coverage and reports of women’s organisations as the basis for her stories. In 2006 she founded Panyingkul!, the first Indonesian website for ‘civil journalism’ in which she tries to establish a cooperation between professional journalists an internet users/readers who want to report news items. As a journalist she worked for the newspaper Kompas (1996-2000), Radio Australia, Radio Japan and NHK World in Tokyo. Right now she lives in Melbourne, where she works for Radio Australia and does gender studies. Lily Yulianti Farid regularly performs at literary festivals in Asia, Australia and Europe.

(Netherlands, 1958) has produced and presented the VPRO radio programme OVT since 2002, a two-hour show about the historical roots of current events as well as newly released historical books, films, commemorations, and anything else related to history. The show features live interviews, reportage, columns and a weekly documentary during the last half hour. He was already linked to OVT since 1992 as a programmer and previously freelanced for other national Dutch broadcasters such as VARA and IKON.

(Egypt, 1977) made her debut in 2010 with Diary of an Old Spinster, which was such a success that it was sold out very soon. In the book – based on the blog of the same name that she wrote – Soliman tells how it is to live as a single woman in Egypt. ‘It is the diary of a liberated woman, seen from the perspective of my generation,’ she says in the introduction. Her aim is primarily to open the eyes of her countrymen, who often condemn single women in word and deed. Elderly single women without children often face problems in Egyptian society. According to official figures, in 2009 2,700 Egyptian women committed suicide because they couldn’t cope any longer. In addition to being a writer Abeer Soliman is a columnist with the newspaper Baladna and a business development manager. Moreover, she is working as a literary agent for Noon Organisation.