Previous Authors of the Day

Joanna Trollope is the author of twenty highly acclaimed and bestselling novels, including The Rector’s Wife, Marrying the Mistress and Daughters in Law. She was appointed OBE in 1996, a trustee of the National Literacy Trust in 2012, and a trustee of the Royal Literary Fund in 2016. She has chaired the Whitbread and Orange Awards, as well as being a judge of many other literature prizes including chairing the BBC National Short Story Awards for 2017. 

Jacqueline has been on countless shortlists and won many awards, including the Smarties Prize, and the Children’s Book Award. As well as receiving an OBE in 2002 for Services to Literacy in Schools, Jacqueline was awarded a DBE in 2008. Over 40 million copies of Jacqueline Wilson’s books have now been sold in the UK alone and they have been translated into 34 different languages. She is one of the UK’s best-selling authors of the past decade.

Representing Estonia, Mihkel Mutt is a renowned, provocative writer and columnist. Originally a theatre and literary critic he made his debut as a writer in the 70s, and has now published over 40 titles across a variety of genres. In recent years he has focused his attention on reporting history and current affairs and his work is typically personified by his biting irony and hyperbolic wit.

Nora Ikstena is one of the most influential and prominent prose writers and essayists in Latvia. She is known for her elaborate style and detailed approach to language, often reflecting on life, love, death and faith. She has written 30 literary works and her most recent novel, Soviet Milk, was shortlisted for an Annual Literature Award for best prose and will come out in the UK by Peirene Press.

Writer and art historian Kristina Sabaliauskaitė is the most widely read contemporary Lithuanian author. Born in Vilnius and based in London since 2002, her four-part historic novel series, Silva Rerum, is a long-term number-one international bestseller. The novel is widely regarded among the most important Lithuanian literary works of the last decade.

Nick Bostrom is Professor in the Faculty of Philosophy at Oxford University and founding Director of the Future of Humanity Institute and of the Programme on the Impacts of Future Technology within the Oxford Martin School. He is the author of some 200 publications. He previously taught at Yale, and he was a Postdoctoral Fellow of the British Academy. In addition to philosophy, Bostrom has a background in physics, computational neuroscience, and mathematical logic.

An international publishing phenomenon, Marian Keyes is one of the most successful Irish novelists of all time. A global number one bestseller, she has written 12 novels, been translated into 36 languages, and sold over 33 million copies worldwide. Storming into print in 1995 with Watermelon, Marian created a genre that she has dominated and redefined ever since. Her latest collection of essays, Making It Up As I Go, is published on 11 February 2016 by Michael Joseph.

Tracy is the author of eight novels and is best known for the international bestseller Girl with a Pearl Earring, which has sold over 5 million copies, been translated into 39 languages, and made into a film. She grew up in Washington DC and in 1984 moved to London, where she lives with her husband and son. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, a Trustee of the British Library, and President of the Royal Literary Fund.

Jeanette has written 10 novels, children’s books, non-fiction and screenplays, and writes regularly for the Guardian. She was adopted by Pentecostal parents and raised in Manchester to be a missionary, which she wrote about in her first novel, Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit and twenty-seven years later in her bestselling memoir, Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?
 

Judith was born in Berlin, but came to England with her family after escaping the Nazis, which she wrote about in Out of the Hitler Time. After a period at the BBC, she left to look after her and her husbands two children, who inspired her first picture book, The Tiger Who Came to Tea, published in 1968. The family cat Mog, inspired a series of picture books about the eponymous feline and the Thomas family.

We were delighted to welcome Sir Terry Pratchett as Author of the Day on Tuesday 8th April. Adored by millions of readers worldwide for his genre-defying blend of comedy, fantasy and science fiction, we dedicated the first day of the show to International Sir Terry Pratchett Day.

On the last day of the fair, we welcomed Waterstones Children's Laureate Malorie Blackman as Children's Author of the Day. Malorie’s attendance at the 2014 fair was particularly special as it was the first time a Children’s Laureate has taken part in the Author of the Day programme.

We welcomed international bestselling and award-winning author Sun-Mi Hwang as Market Focus Author of the Day in honour of Korea Market Focus 2014. Sun-Mi attended the fair on the same day as HRH Duchess of Cornwall and was introduced to our royal guest on the Korea pavilion stand.