Gerbrand Bakker studied Dutch historical linguistics and worked as a subtitler for nature films before becoming a gardener. His previous books include an etymological dictionary for children and the young adult novel Perenbomen bloeien wit (Pear trees bloom white). The Twin was awarded the Golden Dog-Ear, a prize for the bestselling literary debut in the Netherlands, and Archipelago's English-language edition was awarded the 2010 IMPAC Dublin Award.
David Colmer is a writer and translator. He translates Dutch literature in a wide range of genres including literary fiction, nonfiction, children’s books, and poetry. He is a four-time winner of the David Reid Poetry Translation Prize, and received the 2009 Biennial NSW Premier and PEN Translation Prize. He received—along with Gerbrand Bakker—the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize for Bakker's novel The Detour. Colmer lives in Amsterdam.
