Jemina Napier is Professor and Chair of Intercultural Communication at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK. She grew up in the British Deaf community, has extensive international experience as a sign language interpreter, researcher and educator and is the author of Sign Language Interpreting: Linguistic Coping Strategies. She was an inaugural board member of the World Association of Sign Language Interpreters.

Lorraine Leeson is Professor of Deaf Studies at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. She has worked with Deaf communities for more than 25 years as an interpreter, a researcher and educator. She is co-author of Irish Sign Language: A Cognitive Linguistic Account (with John I. Saeed). She is the inaugural Chair of the European Forum of Sign Language Interpreters Committee of Experts.

This book defines the notion of applied sign linguistics by drawing on data from projects that have explored sign language in action in various domains. The book gives professionals working with sign languages, signed language teachers and students, research students and their supervisors, authoritative access to current ideas and practice.