Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) was one of the great American Romantic writers and a pioneer of the short story genre. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre, and is considered the inventor of the detective fiction genre and one of the main contributors to the emerging genre of science fiction.

Harry Clarke (1889-1931) was an Irish book illustrator and leading figure in the Arts and Crafts Movement, influenced by both Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles. His illustration work can be found in great literary classics, such as Goethe's Faust and Charles Perrault's Fairy Tales.

Dr Brook Haley holds degrees in English and French literature from the Louisiana State University and received a PhD in comparative literature from the University of California, Irvine. His interest in Poe's life and works began with a childhood visit to the Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia and focuses on Poe's afterlife in French Symbolism. He is currently a lecturer in the School of Humanities at UC Irvine.