Dipika Mukherjee: Dr Dipika Mukherjee is a sociolinguist and the author of eight books, most recently the collection of travel essays, Writers’ Postcards. She is the author of the novels Shambala Junction and Ode to Broken Things, and the story collection, Rules of Desire. Her award-winning fiction and poetry is translated into nine languages and she received an Esteemed Artist Award from the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. She has been mentoring Southeast Asian writing for over two decades; in 2015, she founded the Dutt Award for Literary Excellence and she has edited five anthologies of Malaysian stories. She holds a PhD in English and has held faculty positions at universities in the US, China, Netherlands, Singapore, India, and Malaysia. She teaches at the Graham School at University of Chicago, serves as the Literary Life Ambassador for the Chicago Poetry Center, and a board member of The Chicago Literary Hall of Fame.

Sharon Bakar: Sharon Bakar’s articles, reviews, fiction, and poetry have appeared in numerous Malaysian publications. She has judged several writing competitions, including the Dutt Memorial Prize for Literary Excellence. She organises Readings, a monthly event for local writers in Bangsar, and has edited three anthologies featuring contributors to the series. With Dipika Mukherjee, she has edited and published three collections that grew out of the Dutt Prize. She teaches creative writing at the University of Nottingham Malaysia and also runs courses for small groups online.