The Incredible Uplift of Compassion

Ben Hobson lives in Brisbane and is entirely keen on his wife, Lena, and their two small boys, Charlie and Henry. He also has a superb pooch named Lincoln, which Charlie forced him to write about in his biography. He currently teaches English and Music at a Queensland High School, and has a keen interest in philosophy, theology, writing and reading. Born in Gippsland, Victoria, Ben grew up surrounded by the sights and smells of the country. His early interest in creativity saw him pursue music both academically and artistically, graduating from QUT in 2011 with a degree, and travelling the country with Sounds Like Chicken, a ska/rock/hardcore hybrid. In 2014 his novella, If the Saddle Breaks My Spine, was shortlisted for the Viva La Novella prize, run by Seizureonline. To Become a Whale, his debut novel, was released in June 2017, by Allen & Unwin. His second novel, Snake Island, was released in August 2019.

Dr. Eve L. Ewing is a sociologist of education and a writer from Chicago. She is the author of Ghosts in the Schoolyard: Racism and School Closings on Chicago's South Side. She is also author of Electric Arches, which received awards from the American Library Association and the Poetry Society of America and was named one of the year's best books by NPR and the Chicago Tribune. She is the co-author (with Nate Marshall) of the play No Blue Memories: The Life of Gwendolyn Brooks. She also writes the Ironheart series for Marvel Comics. Ewing is an assistant professor at the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration. Her work has been published in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The New York Times, and many other venues.