Mohammed Umar was born in Azare in Nigeria's Bauchi State. He studied journalism in Moscow and political economy in London. Mohammed Umar served as a judge for the Caine Prize for African Writing in 2009 and he was the winner of the Muslim News Award for Excellence in the Arts in 2010. His first novel Amina (2005) has been published in over thirty languages to critical acclaim internationally. He lives in London. Soukaina Lalla Greene is a Bristol based illustrator, animator and lover of cats.