Kevin Kiely has had several collections of poetry published, had plays broadcast on RTE and is engaged in literary journalism and editing. He has received Literature Bursary Awards from the Irish Arts Council, and is Honorary Fellow in Writing with the University of Iowa. This is his first book for young readers.

Celine Kiernan is an Irish author of fantasy novels for young adults. She is best known for The Moorehawke Trilogy. Her fourth book, Into the Grey, won both the CBI Book of the Year Award and the CBI Children's Choice Award in 2012. It won the 2013 Readers' Association of Ireland Award for best book. Born and raised in Dublin, she now lives in Virginia, Co. Cavan.

Thomas Kinsella is one of Ireland's most respected and well-loved poets. Born in Inchicore in 1928, he is also known for his translations and editorial work.

In January 2011 Gary Kirwan was morbidly obese, weighing over 41 stone. With the help of Today FM’s Ray Darcy Show, he has so far lost 13 stone, finished the Dublin City Marathon and was able to return to college, currently studying Management and Marketing in Limerick Institute of Technology.

H Gustav Klaus holds the Chair of British Literature at the University of Rostock. He has taught and lectured in many countries including Australia, Britain, Denmark, France and Spain. He takes special interest in the 'little' tradition of working-class and socialist writing. His first major book was a study of another Spanish volunteer, Christopher Caudwell. This was followed by The Socialist Novel in Britain, ed. (1982), The Literature of Labour (1985), The Rise of Socialist Fiction 1880-1914 ed. (1987) and an anthology of working-class stories, Tramps, Workmates and Revolutionaries (1993).

Born in York in 1951, Roger Kohn studied with Rowan Gillespie at York School of Art in 1969. After earning a first class honours degree from Chelsea School of Art, he boarded a tramp steamer to South America. He was arrested and interrogated on three occasions for insurgency and abuse of the Argentine authorities. He declined an offer from MI6 to return to Argentina and travelled the world instead, visiting more than 60 countries and building an extensive photographic library. He now runs a design and publishing business in Berkshire, where he lives with wife Karen, daughter Katie and Aku the parrot. Roger’s first one-man show was held at the Zillah Bell Gallery, Thirsk, in 2003.

Conor Kostick is a writer and historian living in Dublin. As a novelist he was awarded the Farmleigh writer's residency for the summer of 2010 and a place on the nominees list for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2012 and 2013. At their 2009 awards, the Reading Association of Ireland gave him the Special Merit Award ‘in recognition of his significant contribution to writing for children in Ireland’.

 

Epic is Conor’s most successful book, selling over 100,000 copies worldwide. It was awarded a place on the International Board on Books for Young People "White Ravens" list for 2006 and on the Booklist Best Fantasy Books for Youth list for 2007.

As an historian, Conor Kostick's holds a PhD and a gold medal from Trinity College Dublin. He won first prize in the 2001 Dublinia Medieval Essay Competition, and has held fellowships from the Irish Research Council and the University of Nottingham. In 2013, he was awarded a Marie Curie research grant from the EU.

Conor was twice chairperson of the Irish Writers' Union.

His facebook readers page is here.

CARSTEN KRIEGER is a photographer, author and environmentalist based on the west coast of Ireland. He has published numerous books on Ireland’s landscape, nature and heritage including Ireland’s Coast, The River Shannon and the popular Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way. Carsten is also working as project manager for the Crossbill Guides Foundation, is an AnTaisce Climate Ambassador and a Green Sod Ireland Biodiversity Ambassador. More information is available on his website www.carstenkrieger.com

TARSILA KRÜSE is an award-winning children’s book illustrator born in Brazil and based in Dublin, passionate about languages, books, drawing (and pistachio ice-cream). Tarsila is known for illustrating several books as Gaeilge and in English in her heartwarming, friendly and sweet style. She has also written and illustrated for the RTÉ Christmas Guide, Ireland’s biggest-selling periodical publication (three times!) and co-authored My Little Album of Ireland and My Little Album of Dublin, with Juliette Saumande. Her favourite things to draw are people and animals, especially dogs! She also loves visiting schools and libraries and facilitating book-making and illustration workshops across Ireland. tarsilakruse.com @tarsilakruse