William Somerset Maugham (/ˈmɔːm/ MAWM), CH (25 January 1874 – 16 December 1965) was an English playwright, novelist and short story writer. He was among the most popular writers of his era and reputedly the highest paid author during the 1930s.

Maugham's father Robert Ormond Maugham was an English lawyer who handled the legal affairs of the British embassy in Paris, France. Since French law declared that all children born on French soil could be conscripted for military service, his father arranged for Maugham to be born at the embassy, technically on British soil. His grandfather, another Robert, had also been a prominent lawyer and co-founder of the English Law Society. It was taken for granted that Maugham and his brothers would follow in their footsteps. His elder brother Viscount Maugham enjoyed a distinguished legal career and served as Lord Chancellor from 1938 to 1939.

Maugham's mother Edith Mary (née Snell) had tuberculosis, a condition for which her doctor prescribed childbirth. She had Maugham several years after the last of his three older brothers; they were already enrolled in boarding school by the time he was three. The youngest, he was effectively raised as an only child.

Christopher "Kit" Harington (born 26 December 1986) is an English film, television and theatre actor. Harington first came to public notice when he starred as Albert in the original West End (London) production of War Horse. He currently plays Jon Snow in the HBO series Game of Thrones.

Harington attended Southfield Primary School between 1992 and 1998. Harington then went on to attend the Chantry High School, in Martley between 1998 and 2003.^{[citation needed]} He attended Worcester Sixth Form College, where he studied Drama & Theatre Studies, between 2003 and 2005.

He graduated from the Central School of Speech and Drama, a constituent school of the University of London in 2008.

Wang Yihan (Chinese: 王仪涵; pinyin: Wáng yí hán; born January 18, 1988 in Shanghai) is a professional female badminton player from China and the reigning women's singles world champion. Wang started her career with her coach Wang Pengren at only nine years of age. She was selected for the junior team in 2004, and after being promoted to the senior team in 2006 she began to shine in major tournaments. By October 2009 she was the top ranked Women's singles player in the world. She is currently coached by Zhang Ning, twice Olympic gold medalist.

Wang appears to be one of China's rising badminton stars. She won girl's singles at both the Asian Junior and the World Junior Championships in 2006. In open international competition she captured the Badminton World Cup in 2006, and the Bitburger and Russian Opens in 2007. In September 2008 she defeated the Chinese-Hong Kong "veteran" Zhou Mi in the final of the Japan Open. The tourney is one of the Badminton World Federation's Super Series events which carry the highest level of prize money in the sport. In 2009 she won the Yonex German Open singles competition against fellow countrywoman Zhu Lin, and just one week later, at the age of 21, the prestigious All-England Championships against Denmark's Tine Rasmussen. Wang then went on to win the Wilson Swiss Open against compatriot Jiang Yanjiao (21–17, 17–21, 21–13). Wang won the Macau Open [7] for the first time in August 2009 when she again beat Jiang Yanjiao (16–21, 22–20, 21–12). In September 2009, Wang won her second YONEX Open Japan title by beating Wang Xin (21–8, 21–9). Wang then won the French Super Series in November when she emphatically beat top seed, and defending champion, Wang Lin (21–9, 21–12). Wang won her second title in a row, and her 5th BWF Super Series tournament of the year, when she beat Jiang Yanjiao (21–13, 21–15) in the Yonex Sunrise Hong Kong Open. This was also her 7th title overall in 2009.

Victor Lemonte Wooten (born September 11, 1964) is an American bass player, composer, author, and producer, and has been the recipient of five Grammy Awards.

Wooten has won the "Bass Player of the Year" award from Bass Player magazine three times in a row, and was the first person to win the award more than once. In addition to a solo career and collaborations with various artists, Wooten has been the bassist for Béla Fleck and the Flecktones since the group's formation in 1988.

In 2008, Wooten joined Stanley Clarke and Marcus Miller to record an album. The trio of bassists, under the name SMV, released Thunder in August 2008 and began a supporting tour the same month.

Wooten was also a judge for the 4th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists' careers.

Born to Dorothy and Pete Wooten, Victor is the youngest of the five Wooten Brothers, the other four being Regi, Roy, Rudy and Joseph Wooten, all of whom are musicians. His brother Regi began to teach Victor to play bass when he was two, and by the age of six, Victor was playing in front of crowds with his brothers in their family band, The Wooten Brothers Band, and toured supporting Curtis Mayfield, among others. When his family moved east, they continued to hone their skills. His brothers began a residency at Busch Gardens. When his brother Roy asked if Victor could learn the fiddle to play with them on quick notice, he complied, adding another instrument to his repertoire.

Wang Shixian (Chinese: 王适娴; born February 13, 1990 in Suzhou, Jiangsu) is a female badminton player from China and former World No 1 women's singles player.

Wang Shixian was admitted into Chinese Junior National Team in 2005 and was soon promoted to the second-level adult team a year later. But she got the chance to compete in international stages only in 2009, after being promoted to the first-level adult team.

Wang Shixian competed in the World Junior Championship but lost to a Korean player in the final.

Early in this year, she won her first Super Series title in Malaysia open, beating her teammate, Wang Xin. In the China Masters, Wang Shixian beat a series of strong rivals, including her teammate Jiang Yanjiao and Malaysian single player Wong Mew Choo. She also helped to win the team gold for the Jiangsu Province in the 11th China National Games but was beaten in the final of the women's singles by Wang Lin.

Wang Shixian won gold at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou beating Wang Xin.

Wang Shixian won the first two titles competed in the year which is the Super Series Final beating Bae Youn-joo and the Malaysia Open beating Wang Yihan. Wang Shixian also won the All England Open beating Eriko Hirose in the final.