Claude D. Conter (born 1974) is a scientific collaborator (2004-2008), curator (2008-2012) and, since 2012, director of the National Literature Centre of Mersch. He studied German Literature and Mass Communication in Bamberg and Berlin. He was scientific collaborator for the German Literature Department of Bamberg. He completed his Phd in 2003. From 2004 to 2008 he worked as scientific collaborator for the same department in Munich. In 2017, he was guest lecturer at the University of Sewanee (TN, USA).

Toby Lichtig is the Fiction and Politics Editor of the Times' Literary Supplement (TLS). He writes for a range of publications, including the TLS, Wall Street Journal, Telegraph, FT, Jewish Chronicle and New Humanist, and has appeared as a guest critic on various television and radio programmes. He also freelances as a documentary producer. He was chair of judges of last year's JQ/Wingate Prize.

Born in 1973, he holds Master degrees in Marketing and Management as well as Law from the University of National and World Economy, Sofia. He has been selling books for more that 25 years and has experience in various forms of trade - direct sales, online - including 15 years as a sales manager at one of the largest bookshop chains in Bulgaria.Since 2012, he is a managing partner in Bookoholic Ltd, an import and wholesale company, trading with English, German, French, Spanish and Bulgarian books.

Makis Tsitas is a journalist and author of 24 books. His novel 'God Is My Witness' received the EUPL 2014 for Greece and has been translated into 8 languages.

Arevik Ashkharoyan is a literary agent with 10-year experience in publishing. In 2016, she established ARI Literary and Talent Agency, representing a dozen of writers of Armenian origin from all over the world. In 2018, she also founded ARI Literature Foundation, a non-profit organization implementing projects aimed at development of local book market, promotion of reading and writing in Armenia and enhancing international dialogue.

Doris Plöschberger was born in Judenburg (Austria). She studied German Literature and Philosophy and is currently editorial director for German Literature at the Suhrkamp publishing house in Berlin.

José Jorge Letria is a poet, writer, playwright and journalist born in Cascais in 1951. Awarded with numerous literary prizes, his works are translated in over a dozen languages, with both national and international awards. He is also a song writer and author of radio and television programs. He has a PhD in Communication Sciences and is President of the Portuguese Society of Authors.

Kari J. Spjeldnæs (53) has more than thirty years' working experience from Norwegian publishing, fifteen of them as Publishing Director in Aschehoug Publishing House. Spjeldnæs holds a Master of Literature from University of Oslo and has broad literary and leadership experience, from editorial and board work and in various committees for the Norwegian Publishers Association. She is currently involved in a project on digital development, writes a non-fiction book on reading and holds several board positions.

Stavros Stavrou Karayanni is Associate Professor of English in the Department of Humanities of the European University of Cyprus.  He is a critical theorist, performer, and creative writer. 

Adam Fathi (real name: GASMI Fathi) is a Tunisian poet and translator born in 1957. He published several poetry collections including: Sept lunes pour la gardienne de la tour ('Seven moons for the tower keeper'), 1982 ; Chants pour la fleur de poussière ('Songs for the dust flower'), 1991 ; Le souffleur de verre aveugle ('The blind glassblower'), 2011.