Valerie Mason-John born in Cambridge is a playwright, author and performance poet. Mason-John studied at Leeds University and later recieved an MA in Creative Writing at Sussex University. Her first collection of plays was published in 1999 and her work has been staged at the lyric Hammersmith, Oval House Theatre and Drill Hall. Mason-John is a former editor of Feminist Arts News. She directed Pride Arts Festival for four years, and was the former artistic director of London Mardi Gras.