Singer and novelist Willy Vlautin has written three critically lauded novels, The Motel Life, Northline and most recently Lean on Pete, which received the 2010 Ken Kesey Award for Fiction. His band Richmond Fontaines just recorded their 10th studio album, The High Country, which is set for release in September 2011.
Roddy Doyle is the author of nine novels, a collection of short stories, five books for children, and Rory & Ita, a memoir of his parents. He has contributed to a variety of publicationS from The New Yorker to McSweeney's and won the 1993 Man Booker Prize for Paddy Clarke HA HA HA. He wrote the screeenplays for The Snapper, The Van, Family and The Commitments.