UK Experts – Year 2018

Daniela Petracco was born in Trieste, Italy, and moved to London in 1986. After reading English at Birkbeck College, University of London, she obtained a Master Degree in Translation Studies at the University of Warwick. Before joining Europa Editions to head up the London office Daniela worked in bookselling and then as a foreign rights agent at AP Watt and Andrew Nurnberg Associates. She lives in London with her Irish husband, bilingual teenage son and two cats.

Hispanophile Gary McKeone is one of the two representatives nominated by BCLT who rotate to sit on the panel, so he knows the project well. He has worked in literature at London's South Bank Centre, with Field Day Theatre Company in Ireland and as Literature Director at Arts Council England. He has been a Board member of various literature organisations and currently works as Programme Director at St George’s House, Windsor Castle.

Jacques Testard is a co-founder of The White Review and publisher of Fitzcarraldo Editions.

In 2012 Steven and his partner Urmi opened Pickled Pepper Books, a specialist children's bookstore in Crouch End, North London. Along with their three children, Steven, Urmi and the team at Pickled Pepper are constantly developing innovative ways to engage young readers and their families and promote reading as the most fun thing you can do! Steven is a member of the BA Children's Booksellers Group and has previously been a judge for Independent Booksellers Week and the Costa Children's Book Award in 2016. When not reading a book Steven can be found gardening or up the nearest mountain.

Lise Jones is a graduate in Spanish, Film Studies and Photography. She has lived in Havana, Guayaquil and Málaga, worked as an editor on newspapers and film archives, and translated both literary and commercial texts from Spanish to English. She currently divides her time between teaching, editing, translating and taking photographs.