Michael Gerald Hastings, 1938-2011, was born on 2 September 1938 in London, England. He attended the Imperial Services College, Windsor, and Alleyn's School, Dulwich, before premiering his first play, Don't Destroy Me, at age 18. After the success of this play, Royal Court Theatre theatrical manager George Devine, 1910-1966, took Hastings on as an apprentice. In 1966, Hastings won critical recognition with his play Lee Harvey Oswald. He wrote several more stage plays, including Gloo Joo (1978) and Tom and Viv (1984), as well as screenplays, libretti, poems, biographies, and novels. Hastings died in London, England, on 19 November 2011.

Bill Hopkins, 1928-2011, was born on 5 May 1928 in Cardiff, Wales. He joined the air force during World War II, and thereafter worked as a news correspondent in Europe. His journalistic career later included writing for The New York Times and editing The Monitor. In 1957, he published his only novel, The Divine and the Decay. He and Michael Hastings were both grouped with the British literary group dubbed the "angry young men." Hopkins died in London, England, on 6 May 2011.