Eyes Wide Shut

TW // Sexual Violence

Winnie M Li is an author and activist. A Harvard graduate, she previously wrote for travel guidebooks, produced independent feature films, and programmed for film festivals. Driven by her own experience of rape, she founded Clear Lines, the UK’s first festival addressing sexual assault and consent through the arts and discussion and began her PhD research at the LSE. She has an honorary doctorate from the National University of Ireland in recognition of her work. Winnie lives somewhere in traveling distance of London, with her partner and toddler. 

Mel McGrath is an Essex girl, cofounder of Killer Women, and the bestselling and award-winning writer of fiction and nonfiction. She won the John Llewellyn-Rhys-Mail on Sunday award for her first book, Motel Nirvana. As MJ McGrath she is the author of the acclaimed Edie Kiglatuk series of Arctic mysteries, twice longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger and picked as Times and Financial Times thrillers of the year. As Melanie McGrath she wrote the critically acclaimed and bestselling family memoir Silvertown, shortlisted for the James Tait Black Prize, and Pie and Mash Down the Roman Road, shortlisted for the HWA Gold Dagger and the Andre Simon/Fortnum and Mason prize for best food book. As Mel McGrath she is the author of the psychological thrillers Give Me The Child, The Guilty Party and Two Wrongs. Her forthcoming psychological thriller is Tell Me Your Secrets.  

She has been a documentary TV producer for Channel Four and presenter of Trailblazers for The Discovery Channel. She has written for The Guardian, The Observer, The Daily Telegraph, The Observer, The Mail on Sunday and The Wall Street Journal and has taught creative writing at Arvon and at UEA, Roehampton, City Universities in the UK and the University of North Carolina.  Most recently she wrote for HBO Max’s series with Calm.  

She is a regular visitor to prisons and has run a reading and writing group for women over 45 in HMP Holloway.  

The New York Times called her ‘wickedly talented.’ 

Mel is an experienced journalist, broadcaster, teacher, event organizer and speaker, with particular interests in London, literature, crime, feminism and psychology. She is currently training as an integrative psychotherapist. 

Jessica Moor studied English at Cambridge before completing a Creative Writing MA at Manchester University. Her debut novel Keeper was published in 2020 to rave reviews and critical acclaim. Jessica Moor was selected as one of the Observer’s debut novelists of 2020, and her debut, Keeper was chosen by the Sunday Times, Independent and Cosmopolitan as one of their top debuts of the year. Keeper was nominated for the Desmond Elliott Prize and an Edgar Award. Young Women is her second novel.