(1961, US) is a child psychologist, human rights activist and writer, who has spent his career working in Latin and Central America to prevent and overcome violence, for instance in the slums of Rio de Janeiro. He has published several works of nonfiction, including Dying to be Men: youth, masculinity and social exclusion (Routledge, 2005). Barker's literary debut was Luisa's last words, a love story at the time of the civil war in Guatemala. Now there is a new novel by the author politically engaged. He recently published How the lights get in, a novel about sexual violence against women, situated in Congo, a country devastated by conflict and war.

(Roermond, NL, 1965) studied Arabic and Middle East studies. Her second book was published in 2012: Het andere Arabische geluid (The Other Arab Voice), about voices of humanity and hope during the hectic transition period in the new Middle East. Her first book Dromen van een Arabische lente (Dreaming of an Arab Spring, 2008) was about the life and work of a human-rights diplomat in the Arab world. In both books she goes in search of the kind of stories that get little attention in Western media. Currently, Stienen is a publicist and independent consutant. She writes for NRC Handelsblad and De Volkskrant newspapers, has a column in the women's monthly magazine Opzij, and reguarly appears as a commentator on radio and television programmes and in debates at home and abroad.

(Indonesia, 1970) is a writer and a journalist. In her work the violence in Indonesia is a leitmotiv. In her book Jangan Tulis Kami Teroris (Don't portray us as terrorists) she not only highlights the religious, political and gender themes in her own country, but also scrutinises other south-east Asian countries. She has won many prizes: among others the Human Rights Award for the best essay. Recently she was recipient of the prestigious South-East-Asia Literature Prize 2013. In Tongkat Sultan (The Sultan's Stick) she tells about the thirty-year old conflict in Aceh, the social political situation and the peace process after the tsunami. Part of this novel was adapted for opera and performed at the World PEN Forum in Japan. In 2009 she was, together with Christine Otten, Antjie Krog (South Africa) and Gündüz Vassaf (Turkey) a guest at the International Literature Festival Morocco, on behalf of Writers Unlimited. She is now working on a novel about the tensions and conflicts of post-Suharto Indonesia.