Hanya Yanagihara is an American novelist, editor, and travel writer. Her books include the bestselling novel A Little Life (2015), which was shortlisted for the 2015 Booker Prize.

David Yazbek is an American writer, composer and lyricist. He wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musicals The Full Monty (2000), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (2005) and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (2010) and The Band's Visit (2017).

Liwaa Yazji is a Syrian playwright, filmmaker, screenwriter and poet. She was born in Moscow and grew up in Damascus. Her plays include Goats (Royal Court, 2017). She has published a volume of poetry, Peacefully We Leave Home, and was resident poet at Poets House, New York, in 2015 where her book Three Poems was published in English.

Brian Yorkey wrote the book and lyrics for Broadway musical next to normal (New York, 2008; Broadway, 2009; Pulitzer Prize for Drama, 2010).

Other work includes: If/Then starring Idina Menzel; the libretto for The Last Ship (Outer Critic’s Nomination, with John Logan), with a score by Sting; and the Disney Theatricals musical adaptation of Freaky Friday, which also became a Disney Channel Original Movie.

He was the Executive Producer and Co-Showrunner for the Netflix series Echoes. Prior to that, he was the Creator, Executive Producer and Showrunner of 13 Reasons Why for Netflix and Paramount Television. He has also directed for theatre and television.