Contributors

Laura Ries is a graduate of Northwestern University and a partner in the marketing strategy firm Ries & Ries. They act as consultants of major corporations, including Alcoa, Frito-Lay, Glaxo Wellcome, Merck and Pillsbury.

Peter Riley lectures in American literature at the University of Exeter, and the inaugural winner of the Profile-Aitken Alexander Prize. He has been investigating the world of the whale scavengers since his teens.

Christopher Robbins is the author of five non-fiction books, including the award-winning The Empress of Ireland. He became intrigued by Kazakhstan sitting on an aeroplane next to an American from Arkansas on his way there to collect an Internet bride.

Jim Robbins is a frequent contributor to the science section of the New York Times. He has written for Vanity Fair,Sunday Times, Scientific American, Discover, Psychology Today and numerous other magazines. He lives in 20 acres of woods in Helena, Montana.

Professor of Marine Conservation at York University, Callum Roberts is one of the world's leading oceanographers. He was the Chief Scientific Advisor on Blue Planet 2 and writes regularly on marine issues for the Guardian. He is the author of two award-winning books, The Unnatural History of the Sea (Rachel Carson Award, 2007) and Ocean of Life (Mountbatten Award, 2013).

Richard Roberts is a Reader at the University of Sussex. He specialises in financial markets and centres, and is the author of numerous books and articles about international finance.

Dr Elizabeth Roberts is a State Registered Dietitian in the UK. She has worked in many different areas of practise in a career spanning over 20 years. Her first book, Sugar Counter for Health: The Smart Person's Guide to Hidden Sugars was published in 2016.

Dr Roberts works in the NHS, treating children and adolescents with an eating disorder, as well as in the independent sector.

Paul Roberts specialises and has worked extensively in the field of project, programme and change management with organisations such as British Airways, ComputaCenter, The Economist, HBOS, Ministry of Defence, Pfizer, Inland Revenue, Royal Mail, Somerfield and Wilco.

Simon Rich has written for Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons, and he worked on Inside Out for Pixar. He is the creator and showrunner of TV series Man Seeking Woman (based on THE LAST GIRLFRIEND ON EARTH) and the forthcoming Miracle Workers, starring Steve Buscemi and Daniel Radcliffe, which is based on his novel WHAT IN GOD'S NAME. His other collections include Spoiled Brats and The World of Simon Rich. He is a contributor to The New Yorker and BBC Radio 4.

Ren Richards is the pen name for New York Times and USA Today Bestselling YA author Lauren DeStefano. DeStefano has published seven YA novels, four middle-grade novels and the psychological thriller, The Broken Ones.

Denis Robert is a French journalist, novelist, essayist and film director, who is renowned for uncovering political and financial scandals and for his unconventional journalism. Happiness is his first novel.

C. E. Riley is a writer and director of the literary festival, Primadonna, which is described as 'books, with a little bit of rock'n'roll' – a festival that showcases established and emerging voices that aren't heard enough in the mainstream. She lives in London, and has previously published two works of non-fiction. Is This Love? is her debut novel.