Born in 1947, Ioana Ieronim worked as an editor for many years, and became a diplomat in 1992, serving as Cultural Counsellor in the Romanian Embassy in Washington. She is now programme director for Fulbright U.S.-Romanian exchanges in Bucharest.

Paul Hyland is an award-winning poet and travel writer who lives in Dorchester. His many publications include English topographical classics, travel books about Central Africa, India and Iberia, and most recently the acclaimed historical work Ralegh's Last Journey. He also wrote Bloodaxe's indispensable Getting into Poetry, described by Suzy Feay in Time Out as 'essential reading - the guide to the contemporary poetry scene', He performs the Art of the Impossible as a professional magician