diff --git a/ascmhl/commands.py b/ascmhl/commands.py
index 92f6c04..90ed3ee 100644
--- a/ascmhl/commands.py
+++ b/ascmhl/commands.py
@@ -1434,7 +1434,7 @@ def commit_session(session, author_name, author_email, author_phone, author_role
     creator_info.host_name = platform.node()
     creator_info.location = location
     creator_info.comment = comment
-    if author_name is not None:
+    if author_name is not None or author_email is not None or author_role is not None or author_phone is not None:
         author_object = MHLAuthor(author_name, author_email, author_phone, author_role)
         creator_info.authors.append(author_object)
 
diff --git a/ascmhl/hashlist_xml_parser.py b/ascmhl/hashlist_xml_parser.py
index b927335..60ff973 100644
--- a/ascmhl/hashlist_xml_parser.py
+++ b/ascmhl/hashlist_xml_parser.py
@@ -109,6 +109,17 @@ def parse(file_path):
                         current_object = None
 
                     # author
+                    elif tag == "author":
+                        if current_object.authors[-1].name == "-":
+                            current_object.authors[-1].name = element.text
+                        if current_object.authors[-1].role == None:
+                            current_object.authors[-1].role = element.attrib.get("role")
+                        if current_object.authors[-1].email == None:
+                            current_object.authors[-1].email = element.attrib.get("email")
+                        if current_object.authors[-1].phone == None:
+                            current_object.authors[-1].phone = element.attrib.get("phone")
+
+                    # author (not as spec says, only here for backwards compatibility)
                     elif tag == "name":
                         current_object.authors[-1].name = element.text
                     elif tag == "role":
@@ -348,24 +359,24 @@ def _creator_info_xml_element(hash_list: MHLHashList):
         E.hostname(creator_info.host_name),
         E.tool(creator_info.tool.name, version=creator_info.tool.version),
     )
+    for author in creator_info.authors:
+        author_element = E.author()
+        if author.role != None:
+            author_element.attrib["role"] = author.role
+        if author.email != None:
+            author_element.attrib["email"] = author.email
+        if author.phone != None:
+            author_element.attrib["phone"] = author.phone
+        if author.name != None and author.name != "-":
+            author_element.text = author.name
+        info_element.append(author_element)
+
     if creator_info.location is not None:
         info_element.append(E.location(creator_info.location))
 
     if creator_info.comment is not None:
         info_element.append(E.comment(creator_info.comment))
 
-    for author in creator_info.authors:
-        author_element = E.author()
-        if author.name is not None:
-            author_element.append(E.name(author.name))
-        if author.role is not None:
-            author_element.append(E.role(author.role))
-        if author.email is not None:
-            author_element.append(E.email(author.email))
-        if author.phone is not None:
-            author_element.append(E.phone(author.phone))
-        info_element.append(author_element)
-
     return info_element