Mike L. Bigornia was a Filipino poet, editor, fictionist, and translator. Bigornia was educated at the University of the East where he studied political science. He was chairman of the Unyon ng Mga Manunulat ng Pilipinas (UMPIL), and the recipient of several Palanca Awards. He also won National Book Awards from the Manila Critics Circle for his collection of prose poems, Prosang Itim (Anvil) and Punta Blangko. Bigornia, the Makata ng Taon in 1986, was a founding member of the Gallan sa Arte at Tula (GAT), along with fellow poets Virgilio Almario and Teo Antonio. He also worked as managing director for Phoenix Publishing House.

Book designer and illustrator Albert Gamos was born on September 13, 1951 in Pampanga. An honorary member of Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan, his works have been published both locally and internationally. He was one of the first illustrators to work for Adarna House, illustrating 28 books with the publishing house in his lifetime. Two of those books remain in print today: Sino Ako? and The Love of Lam-Ang. Outside of the publishing industry, Albert, together with his friend and fellow children’s literature legend Rene Villanueva, is also credited as being one of the great minds behind well-loved Batibot characters Pong Pagong and Kiko Matsing. As a testament to the excellence of his art, he was awarded numerous honors and recognitions in a career spanning over three decades. Just as he was starting out as an artist, Albert received an honorable mention at the 1985 Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava. In 1992, he was a runner-up at the 1992 Noma Concours for Picture Book Illustrations for his work in Pandaguan. That same year, the Philippine Board on Books for Young People awarded him a citation for his great contribution to the art of Filipino children’s books. In 2009, he was nominated to the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Awards.

Rene O. Villanueva (September 1954–December 2007) was a Filipino Dramatist and Children's Story Writer who made his mark in Philippine Literature in the late 1970s and well into the first decade of the 21st century. He had a remarkable contribution to Filipino culture as shown in his prolific output which generates continuing interest in his plays and books for young people. Villanueva was born in La Loma, Quezon City and studied in public schools, the Lyceum of the Philippines, and the University of the Philippines. As a young person, he already had the inclination to the arts, telling stories to playmates and winning in national school writing contests. In college, he was active in the theater as a writer and as a performer. Later when he got into the writing workshop circuit, he joined the literary group Galian sa Arte at Tula (GAT) to learn from veteran writers. In a children's literature workshop, he stood out as a fellow, and critic National Artist Virgilio S. Almario recognized his writerly gifts. His drama auspiciously began in 1978 with "Entreswelo" and "Pag-ibig ni Mariang Makiling" which won an award in the playwriting workshop, Palihang Aurelio Tolentino. Then in 1980, he won his first Palanca Award with the one-act play "Kumbersasyon" and from then on his pen did not falter a beat. He came out with memorable dramatic works like "May Isang Sundalo"(1981), "Sigwa" (1984), "Botong" (1990), "Kalantiaw" (1994), "Dobol" (1994) and "Watawat" (1999). Villanueva's stories for children garnered prestigious prizes, including Palanca Award-winning works like "Bertdey ni Guido" (1989), "Ang Unang Baboy sa Langit" (1990), "Tungkung Langit at Alunsina"(1990), "Nemo, Ang Batang Papel" (1992), and "Tatlong Ungas" (1999). For his pioneering contribution to local children's literature, Villanueva was nominated by the Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) to the 2002 Hans Christian Andersen Award for Children's Writer, the most prestigious international recognition in the field of writing for children. He is the first Filipino writer to have been nominated to the award. His indomitable spirit as a writer, teacher and cultural worker found him travelling all over the country to share his views on children's welfare, creative writing, curriculum enrichment, and teaching materials development.

Lamberto E. Antonio is a Filipino writer. Opposite Mario O'Hara, he co-wrote the screenplay for Lino Brocka's film Insiang (1976), the first Philippine film to be shown at the Cannes Film Festival in 1978. He is the author of several critically acclaimed books—Hagkis ng Talahib (1971), Pagsalubong sa Habagat (1986 National Book Award for Poetry), and Pingkian at Apat Pang Aklat Ng Tunggalian (1997 National Book Award for Poetry). A Palanca awardee 10 times over, he has also won the grand prize for the Epic Narrative in the Cultural Center of the Philippines Literary Competition and was hailed Makata ng Taon by the Surian ng Wikang Pambansa. He also received the Gawad Manuel L. Quezon and Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas.

Carla M. Pacis is a writer, a teacher and a former bookstore owner. She has written several books for children, a couple of novels for young adults and has won several local awards for her stories. She has also edited several books, not all for children, a print magazine and an on-line magazine, both for children. She is a lecturer at the University of the Philippines and at the De La Salle University, teaching and conducting workshops on how to write for children and young adults, and is a Resident Fellow of the U.P. Institute of Creative Writing. During the summer break, she conducts writing workshops for adults, teenagers and children and sometimes will talk to parents and teachers on the power of reading. She will never say no to a school visit, especially to those schools where the students have read her book(s). She enjoys these visits immensely as it gives her a chance to meet her readers and listen to their thoughts and comments. Carla is a founder-member of KUTING or Kwentista ng mga Tsikiting, a local organization of writers for children that meets regularly once a month. The word kuting is tagalog for kitten and Kwentista ng mga Tsikiting means Storytellers for Children. Carla is also a member of the Society for Children's Writer's and Illustrators (SCBWI) and has attended at least one their conferences in the U.S.A. (from panitikan.com.ph)

Virgilio S. Almario, better known by his pen name, Rio Alma, is a Filipino artist, poet, critic, translator, editor, teacher, and cultural manager. He is a National Artist of the Philippines. Growing up in Bulacan among peasants, Almario sought his education in Manila and completed his degree in A.B. Political Science at the University of the Philippines. A prolific writer, he spearheaded the second successful modernist movement in Filipino poetry together with Rogelio G. Mangahas and Lamberto E. Antonio. His earliest pieces of literary criticism were collected in Ang Makata sa Panahon ng Makina (1972), now considered the first book of literary criticism in Filipino. Later, in the years of martial law, he set aside modernism and formalism and took interest in nationalism, politics and activist movement. As critic, his critical works deal with the issue of national language. Aside from being a critic, Almario engaged in translating and editing. He has translated the best contemporary poets of the world. He has also translated for theater production the plays of Nick Joaquin, Bertolt Brecht, Euripedes and Maxim Gorki. Other important translations include the famous works of the Philippines' national hero, José Rizal, namely Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. It was deemed as the best translation by the Manila Critics Circle. Almario has been a recipient of numerous awards such as several Palanca Awards, two grand prizes from the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the Makata ng Taon of the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, the TOYM for literature, and the Southeast Asia Write Award of Bangkok. He was an instructor at the Ateneo de Manila University from 1969-1972. He only took his M.A. in Filipino in 1974 in the University of the Philippines. In 2003, he was appointed Dean of the College of Arts and Letters in the said university. In June 25 of the same year, he was proclaimed National Artist for Literature. Almario is also the founder and workshop director of the Linangan sa Imahen, Retorika, at Anyo (LIRA), an organization of poets who write in Filipino. Award-winning writers and poets such as Roberto and Rebecca Añonuevo, Romulo Baquiran Jr., Michael Coroza, Jerry Gracio, and Vim Nadera are but some of the products of the LIRA workshop.