Ali al-Muqri is a Yemeni writer born in 1966. He has worked in cultural journalism since 1985. He has published eight books including Black Taste, Black Odour which was longlisted for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction in 2009. Some of his works have been translated into English, German, French and Spanish. He has participated in several literary Arabic and international festivals. His latest novel, The Handsome Jew, has been longlisted for the 2011 Prize.

Thomas Aplin was born in England in 1979. He has a first class bachelor's degree in Arabic and is currently pursuing a PhD on the Saudi novel at the University of Edinburgh. His love for contemporary Arabic fiction was kindled by the novels of the celebrated author, Abdelrahman Munif, which he read as an undergraduate during a year spent studying in Damascus.