Kate Sidley has worked as a magazine and newspaper columnist, journalist and editor. As well as being one half of Katie Gayle, Kate works as a commissioned writer, co-writer and ghostwriter, and has authored her own books. She lives in Cape Town with her husband - their two young adult children are free-ranging. When not at her writing desk, Kate can usually be found up a mountain or in the ocean.

Gail Schimmel is a lawyer and writer – by day, she works as the CEO of the Advertising Regulatory Board of South Africa; and in her “spare” time she writes domestic noire novels, as well as being half of Katie Gayle. Gail also co-hosts a writing podcast called The Hidden Lives of Writers. Gail lives in Johannesburg with her husband, two children, two dogs and two cats. Jake, the dog in the Julia Bird series, is based on Gail’s labrador Jake. He would like you to know that he is a Very Good Boy.