Director and Editor:
Dr Lorna Robinson

Lorna studied Classics at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University; she then completed a doctorate at University College London. Her thesis explored the similarities between the Latin American magical realist movement and Ovid's poem Metamorphoses, and especially the ways in which magical themes are used to express political subversion.

After reading far too many magical realist books in dingy libraries, she acclimatised herself to daylight again, and then went into teaching. Shortly after, she created the Iris Project and its magazine to promote Classics in state schools. She currently runs Latin and Greek courses in a variety of state comprehensive and primary schools, and is also working with UCL Bloomsbury Theatre on an ancient drama project in East London schools, and has set up 'Latin in the Parks' for adults to have a go at picking up Latin.

As well as ancient languages, Lorna likes writing, and has finished a book, Cave Canem, about Latin and Roman culture, which is being published by Walker Books, a division of Bloomsbury Press, this summer. She has been working for a rather long time on a novel set in the London underground, a storybook for children based around a community of fish, and probably few other things... She's not entirely sure where any of these is going right now, though.

She lives in East Oxford, and in her spare time seeks out rivers, woods and music, and especially a combination of the three.

Deputy:
Graham Kirby

Graham was educated at Durham University and University College London, where he studied politics but set up the UCL Classical Drama Society; Graham has been involved in over ten classical productions. Most importantly - at the Bloomsbury Theatre - he acted in Lysistrata (2004), adapted and directed Knights (2005), which was then, re-adapted, performed at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor. Following on from that, he translated, produced and directed Medea (2006) to critical and academic acclaim, translated and produced Acharnians (2007) and co-translated Agamemnon (2008), all for production at the Bloomsbury Theatre. His sole film role has been a cameo appearance in Dark Night (2006), which won awards at the Manchester Film Festival.

He joined Iris in September 2007 to start up the Hackney School Greek Drama Project and has since been helping run various other aspects including Latin in the Parks.

He is currently mixing and editing Medea for audio production and working on a number of new translations for production, including Peace and Frogs for the Hackney Schools project.

He enjoys explaining how he progessed from classics to politics and then, well, back to classics again and is most likely to be heard saying: "All politics is theatre. All theatre is politics."

Co-Editor:
Alex Williams

Alex gained a degree in mathematics from Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University, and then drifted into working in the computer industry, where he is now employed as a consultant. He spends most of his spare time indulging his love of books, music and festivals, and volunteering in the Oxfam bookstore on St Giles in central Oxford. He is a keen blogger, and has recently had his work published. He has been known to write play reviews for local media and even does a spot of Djing here and there when called upon.

He has long been involved with the organisation of Oxford's 'Caption' event, held every summer for comic artists and publications.

Alex works on the magazine in a variety of ways, from invaluable creative input and editorial advice, to writing the myth pages, the advice column and also other articles.

He also lives in East Oxford, and makes the most of all that the city has to offer.

Cartoonist:
George Hughes

George was born in Hackney; he then moved to France where he spent the next twenty-five years of his life. He eventually returned to England, and has been living in Oxford for the last few years, working as a chef and doing cartoons and artwork in his spare time.

George is currently working on two childrens' books and various cartoons. He would like to draw full-time,but has to finance his living as a chef in the meantime. When he is not working or drawing you can find him on his allotment.

Graphics Design:
Dylan Ross

Dylan co-runs a graphics design company, Penguin Army, and is in charge of the graphics design for Iris magazine. His artistic skill and imaginative interpretations of ideas help give the magazine its distinctive style, and his immense flexibility and patience in the weeks preceding each issue going to press deserve an award. Check out www.penguinarmy.co.uk for more info.

Neil Parkinson

Neil has a degree in Classics from Oxford University, and since then, has been working with homeless support organisations in London, and has recently spent a year in Australia. He is trustee for the project and occasional contributor to Iris magazine too. As well as Classics and social activism, Neil likes music and living in London.