Patrick Hamilton (1904—1962) was born into a literary family and became active in the theater at a young age. He was a prolific writer, both of fiction and for the stage, and a notorious alcoholic. Among his most famous novels are Hangover Square and The Slaves of Solitude (NYRB Classics).

Susanna Moore is the author of the novels My Old Sweetheart, The Whiteness of Bones, Sleeping Beauties, In the Cut, One Last Look, and The Big Girls, as well as a book of non-fiction, I Myself Have Seen It. She lives in New York City.