Our Faculty

We’re thrilled to host leading publishing professionals from the international scene. One thing they have in common: They’re nice, approachable people who believe that what separates an emerging writer from a published author is the right knowledge and community surrounding them.

 

Jeff W. Bens, Author

Jeff W. Bens is author of the novels The Mighty Oak and Albert, Himself. His short fiction and essays are published widely. Jeff works in film and directed the award-winning documentary, Fatman's. Jeff is Professor of Creative Writing at Manhattanville College in New York teaching undergraduate and graduate workshops.

Learn more about Jeff

 

Linnea Gradin, Blogger

Linnea Gradin is a bookworm at heart and a blog writer for Reedsy.com. She has a Masters in Sociology from Cambridge University, with a focus on representation in media, and studied publishing at Lund University. She advises on writing, publishing, editing, and more, helping authors realize their publishing goals.

Check out some of her writing.

 

Golnaz Hashemzadeh Bonde, Author

Golnaz Hashemzadeh Bonde was born in Iran and fled with her parents to Sweden as a young child. She debuted in 2012 with the novel, She Is Not Me (Hon är inte jag). Her second novel, What We Owe, was published by Wahlström & Widstrand in August, 2017 and has been translated into 25 languages.

Learn more about Golnaz.

 

April Eberhardt, Literary Consultant

April is passionate about helping authors be published and assists them as they choose the best pathway to publication, be it indie or traditional, digital or print. April serves on the Advisory Council for The American Library in Paris, and is a reader for the Best American Short Stories series.

Learn more about April

 

Natalie Edwards, Editor, Bookouture

Natalie is Commissioning Editor at Boukouture, a dynamic digital publisher of bestselling commercial fiction and a division of Hachette. Natalie is drawn to strong characters, compelling ideas and immersive storytelling across a variety of genres.


Learn more about Bookouture

 

Lisa Ferland, Author, Kickstarter Expert

Science brings both an analytical and creative approach to everything she does. Lisa loves helping authors around the world tell their stories. After launching her first campaign to over $10k on Kickstarter and then subsequently, helping over 100 other authors do the same, she discovered that her positive energy and spirit is best served when helping others achieve their dreams.

Learn more about Lisa

 

Hans-Åke Lilja, Author

For more than two decades, Hans-Åke has been a leading voice when it comes to covering and reporting on Stephen King. His website, Lilja’s Library, is the die-hard fan’s source for information about new King projects and breaking news, but Lilja has also featured his own in-depth reviews and interviews with the most important people in King’s world, including Stephen King himself.


Learn more about Hans-Åke

 

Sofia Löfgren and Lukas Adamsson

Sofia and Lukas are Swedish authors-gone-publishers. Their new publishing house, Adamsson Löfgren Bokförlag, operates by the traditional model, but with a modern angle, focusing on transparency and a big digital (and physical) presence.

Learn more about Adamsson Löfgren

 

Liv Maidment, Agent, Madeleine Millburn

Liv is a Literary Agent specialising in literary and upmarket fiction, and select literary narrative non-fiction. She’s currently looking for engrossing contemporary and historical fiction in the literary, upmarket, and book club space. What ties her favourites together: powerful writing and an original insight.

Learn more about Liv

 

Paul Rapacioli, Moderator

Paul Rapacioli is a journalist, author and founder of the news site The Local, which has five million monthly readers. He’s also author of Good Sweden, Bad Sweden  which analyzes the mechanisms that make Sweden a target for international populism and nationalism. He is a member of the board of directors for the Festival and serves as our moderator.

Learn more about Paul

 

Johnny Shaw, Author

Johnny has six novels including the Jimmy Veeder Fiasco border novels: Dove Season, Plaster City, and Imperial Valley. Johnny has been nominated for the Anthony Award three times, winning for Best Paperback Original in 2013 for BIG MARIA. He won the Spotted Owl Award twice. His short fiction has appeared in Thuglit, Plots with Guns, Crime Factory, and Shotgun Honey.

Learn more about Johnny