Hans Ulrich Gumbrecht is Albert Guérard Professor of Literature at Stanford University. Robert P. Harrison is Rosina Pierotti Professor in Italian Literature and Chair of the Department of French and Italian at Stanford University. Michael R. Hendrickson is Director of Surgical Pathology at Stanford University Medical Center. Robert B. Laughlin is Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Physics at Stanford University and was a co-recipient of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1998.
Guy Gavriel Kay was born on November 7, 1954 in Weyburn, Saskatchewan, Canada. He became interested in fantasy fiction while working as an assistant to Christopher Tolkien. He assisted him with the editing of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion. After receiving a law degree from the University of Toronto, he became principal writer and associate producer for the CBC radio series, The Scales of Justice. He also wrote several episodes when the series moved to television. He has written social and political commentary for several publications including the National Post, The Globe and Mail, and The Guardian. His first fantasy novels were The Summer Tree, The Wandering Fire, and The Darkest… Road, which make up the Fionavar Tapestry Trilogy. His other works include A Song for Arbonne, The Lions of Al-Rassan, Beyond This Dark House, The Last Light of the Sun, and Under Heaven. He has received numerous awards including and the Aurora Award for Tigana and The Wandering Fire, the 2008 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel for Ysabel, and the International Goliardos Award for his work in the fantasy field.