Dhruti Shah is an award-winning journalist with more than a decade’s experience at the BBC. She studied English at Oxford University before embarking on a career in journalism. She trained on local newspapers before making the jump to international news. She has a reputation for unearthing unusual and underreported stories stemming a wide beat. She is an Ochberg Fellow at the Dart Centre for Trauma Journalism at Columbia University, New York and a Rotary International Peace Fellow.
Vincent Shanley lives in Billingham, Stockton-on-Tees, where, from 1985 until 1995, he was headteacher at St Michael’s Comprehensive School. Since then, he has enjoyed success with two best-sellers, Classroom Clangers and Football Shorts.
Reverend Paul Sinclair is a priest and former pastor of Willesden Church. He owns Britain’s only motorcycle funeral business, using a custom-made sidecar hearse (as mentioned in detail by Robbie Coltrane on ‘Friday Night with Jonathan Ross’). The reverend’s website is www.fasterpastor.com.
Alice Starmore is a leading knitwear designer and author of books that include The Celtic Collection, Fishermen’s Sweaters and Celtic Needlepoint also published by Collins and Brown.
Peter Seddon is a well-known and highly experienced author, responsible for numerous titles including three books in the successful Strangest… series. Other publications include Football Talk, A Football Companion and The Little Book of Derby County, as well as a comprehensive biography of Derby County legend Steve Bloomer (Peter is a lifelong Rams fan).
Chris Stone is a writer and editor with 15 years’ experience in publishing. He has commissioned and edited books on a huge array of subjects from U-boats to David Beckham; as an author he specialises in humour, pop culture and sport. His books include ‘The Ultimate Christmas Party Sprout’ and ‘Spliffigami: how to roll the 35 greatest joints of all time’. He lives in Kent.
<p>Johnny writes regularly for The Guardian, Q, Mojo, and London Lite, and who was one of the NME’s best known feature writers, working under his school nickname Johnny Cigarettes. He has also contributed to publications as diverse as The Daily Telegraph, Bizarre, loaded, Viz, and Militant.</p>
Dr. Pam Spurr is a psychologist, life coach, broadcaster and columnist. Having worked in the media for 12 years, she’s currently AOL UK’s relationships expert on the ‘Ask Dr. Pam’ site, sex columnist and psychologist for ‘The News of the World’, and ‘Cosmo Bride’s’ resident Love Doctor. After winning a Sony radio award as Heart Radio’s agony aunt, Dr. Pam was asked to join LBC as a presenter/interviewer, broadening her remit from giving advice to interviewing a fascinating variety of guests.
Viviane Schwarz is an award-winning author and illustrator of interactive books, picture books, graphic novels and craft books. She lectures in illustration and game design at university level.
Nicola Stewart trained at the London School of Sports Massage. She worked at the Alternative Centre in London for three years and has been running her own massage business for 12 years. She organises on-site massages in companies across the UK. She has written for a variety of health magazines including the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.
Derek Strahan is the author of Lost Springfield, Massachusetts, and the historical blog Lost New England.com, which traces the grand buildings and institutions that have disappeared from the six states. He is a graduate of Westfield State University with degrees in English and Regional Planning, and he currently teaches English at The Master’s School in Simsbury, Connecticut. He lives in Springfield, Massachusetts, with his wife Melissa and their son Isaiah.
<p>Berry Bros & Rudd is Britain’s oldest wine merchant and still family-run. The firm has been trading from the same shop at No. 3 St James’s Street, London near St James’s Palace since 1698; and it has been serving the royal family since the time of George III. Over three centuries later, with two Royal Warrants and eight Masters of Wine, the family business continues to flourish. It was the first wine merchant to begin on-line sales, in 1994, and its award-winning Wine School courses, held in the historic Pickering Cellars below the shop, have been running since 2000.</p>
<p><strong>Lucy Anna Scott </strong>is a writer with an artistic interest in stories that explore how plants, trees and landscapes help us better understand ourselves. She co-created <em>Lost in London</em>, an indie magazine that explored the city’s wild landscapes. Her previous books include <em>Lost in London: adventures in the city’s wild outdoors</em> and <em>My Tiny Garden</em>.</p>
Marcus Samuelsson is the owner of celebrated US restaurants Red Rooster Harlem, Ginny’s Supper Club and Street Bird. He is the author of the New York Times best-selling memoir which won a 2007 James Beard Award and several previous cookbooks. Marcus famously cooked a state dinner for President and Mrs. Obama at the White House and was the youngest chef ever to receive a three-star restaurant review from the New York Times at the age of 24. His first UK restaurant opens in London in 2017.
