Joanne Harris is the internationally renowned and award-winning author of nineteen novels, plus novellas, scripts, short stories, libretti, lyrics, and articles, including a self-help book for writers, Ten Things About Writing. In 2000, her 1999 novel Chocolat was adapted to the screen, starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp. She is an honorary Fellow of St Catharine's College, Cambridge, and was Chair of the Society of Authors from 2020–2024. Her latest novel, The Moonlight Market, was published in 2024.
John Hodgman is a bestselling writer, humorist, and actor who first honed his comedic voice in the pages of McSweeney’s and as the host of some of their earliest events. His books include Vacationland, Medallion Status, and The Areas of My Expertise, and other work has appeared in The New Yorker, One Story, The Paris Review, and The New York Times Magazine, where he writes the weekly “Judge John Hodgman” column for The Ethicist. He is also the host of the Judge John Hodgman podcast. He is the co-creator and co-star of the animated comedy Dicktown on Hulu, and recently starred as Tom, The Weird Dad on Up Here, also on Hulu, and Guy Wearing Dockers at the Concert Who Is Not a Narc on Poker Face for Peacock. Hodgman voices the characters of Mouse on Frog and Toad, Snoopy on The Venture Bros.: Radiant Is the Blood of the Baboon Heart, and Gary on Archer.
Gildart Jackson is best known for his role as Giles the Host/Butler on the ABC hit reality series Whodunnit? His film and television credits include The Big Brass Ring, General Hospital, Providence, Charmed, You, Atlas Shrugged: Part II, Burn Notice, Supernatural, The Young and the Restless, Feud, and The Bold Type. He has been featured on stage in regional productions of The Seagull, My Fair Lady, Private Eyes, and Tempest Redux. He has also narrated numerous audiobooks, including The Son by Jo Nesbø and You Will Not Have My Hate by Antoine Leiris. He has won an Audie, been nominated twice more, and has received numerous additional audiobook awards. During the Covid lockdown, Jackson began Fireside Reading. Every day at 5PM PT on Instagram @firesidereading he reads live for free to anyone who might like to join him. Fireside Reading has grown in wonderful ways, and if you’d like, please check it out at www.firesidereading.com.
Dylan Marron made the podcast Conversations with People Who Hate Me. He wrote a book of the same name, published in 2022 from Atria. He wrote for Ted Lasso. Most recently, Marron made a 6-part audio documentary called The Redemption of Jar Jar Binks.
Simon Rich is a frequent contributor to The New Yorker. He has written for Saturday Night Live, Pixar, and The Simpsons and is the creator of the TV shows Man Seeking Woman and Miracle Workers, which he based on his books. His other collections include Ant Farm, Spoiled Brats, New Teeth, and Hits and Misses, which won the Thurber Prize for American Humor. Rich’s latest collection, Glory Days, was published in July 2024. His play All In: Comedy About Love is currently running on Broadway.
CREDITS
“Fule’s Gold,” from Jigs & Reels by Joanne Harris. Copyright © Joanne Harris. Used by permission of the author c/o Rogers, Coleridge & White Ltd., 20 Powis Mews, London W11 1JN.
“Some News,” by Dylan Marron. Commissioned by Symphony Space. Copyright © 2023 by Dylan Marron and Symphony Space.
“The Tribal Rite of the Strombergs,” by Simon Rich. First published in The New Yorker (August 19, 2013) and collected in Spoiled Brats (Little, Brown and Company, 2014). Copyright © 2013 by Simon Rich. Used by permission of Levine, Greenberg, Rostan Literary Agency.
