Zoe first realised that books can tell stories as a small child in the 1970s, when a neighbour gave her a box of Enid Blyton paperbacks. This love of words and storytelling has only grown over the intervening decades, and has finally led to the publication of her first novel, The Last Secret of Wickham…

Louise Austin fell in love with stories from an early age, often sneaking a book into bed to find out what happened next. After studying law at Oxford, she spent over a decade as a corporate pensions lawyer before leaving the profession to focus on raising her three children, writing and fulfilling her dream of…

Professional Writing Academy/Faber Academy graduate John Ludlam self-published his first novel, We Are Made, in late 2024. John was born and brought up in north London, where he wrote his first words for public consumption – punk rock lyrics. More than thirty years as a video producer for the Reuters news agency taught him that…

Yvonne Vincent is the bestselling author of Losers Club, a Scottish murder mystery series which has been optioned for TV. In 2025, her novel, Game of Trust, was shortlisted for the Comedy Women in Print Prize. She’s also the ‘midlife maniac’ behind the Facebook blog, Growing Old Disgracefully, and the Hear Me Roar podcast. In…

Writing has always been central to Lucy’s life. She holds a BA in English Literature and a Masters in World Literatures from the University of Oxford. Her talent was recognised early on, with her work listed for the BPA First Novel Award, the Spotlight First Novel Award and the Moniack Mhor Emerging Writer Award. She…

Zoë Somerville is a writer, teacher and editor based in Bath. Her debut novel The Night of the Flood was published in 2020 and her second novel, The Marsh House, in 2022. Both are historical literary mysteries and were inspired by her home county of Norfolk. She is currently writing a novel about madness and…

Heidi Ball is our Moderator and Community Coordinator. She holds an MA in Illustration: Authorial Practice from Falmouth University.  She manages our moderating team and our vibrant alumni community areas. As an avid reader, writer and illustrator, Heidi has many years of experience working with students and researchers in higher education. She understands the unique challenges…

Ulyses Razo is an American poet and writer. He is the author of four poetry books, including the Personal Life series, Roses Bricks Blood, and Murders & Other Poems. His work has been published by Wonder Press, If a Leaf Falls Press, Ghost City Review, Propel, 14 Hills, and others. A fellowship recipient from Paul…