Naoise Dolan was born in Dublin, Ireland. She writes fiction, essays, criticism and features for publications including The London Review of Books, the Guardian and Vogue. Naoise’s debut novel Exciting Times (Aufregende Zeiten) was first published by W&N and became a Sunday Times bestseller. She has been shortlisted and longlisted for several prizes, including the Women’s Prize for Fiction and the Dylan Thomas Prize. Naoise’s second novel, The Happy Couple, was published in 2023, and she is currently based in Berlin. Naoise Dolan’s Das glückliche Paar (The Happy Couple), translated by Anke Caroline Burger, has been published by Rowohlt in April 2024.

Paul Lynch was born in Limerick in 1977, grew up in Co Donegal, and lives in Dublin. As an novelist he is known for his poetic, lyrical style and exploration of complex themes. He has published five novels and has won several awards, including the 2018 Kerry Group Irish Fiction Award and the 2023 Booker Prize, for Prophet Song. In 2024, he was appointed Distinguished Writing Fellow at Maynooth University and was elected to Aosdána, which honours artists who have made outstanding contributions to the creative arts in Ireland.