A. A. Milne was an English novelist and playwright born in 1882. A student of H. G. Wells during public school, Milne went on to study mathematics in Cambridge. During his time there, Milne frequently contributed to the college s student magazine, Granta, and was so successful that he was offered a job at the British humour magazine Punch. Milne s son, Christopher Robin, was born in 1920. After writing a poem for him entitled Teddy Bear, Milne began publishing children s stories about Christopher Robin and his stuffed animals, including his bear, Winnie-the-Pooh. Milne s children s books, Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner, have since become beloved classics that have been adapted into the famous Disney franchise. Milne died in 1956 at the age of 74.

Alan Bennett has been one of England's leading dramatists since the success of Beyond the Fringe in the 1960s. His work includes the Talking Heads television series, and the stage plays "Forty Years On, The Lady in the Van, A Question of Attribution", and "The Madness of King George III". His recent play, "The History Boys" (now a major motion picture), won six Tony Awards, including best play, in 2006. In the same year his memoir, "Untold Stories", was a number-one bestseller in the United Kingdom.