Fahmida Riaz (1946?2018) was a pioneering Pakistani writer, poet, translator, and human rights activist. Born in Meerut, British India, and raised in Hyderabad, Sindh, Riaz was a bold political voice who used her writing to challenge societal norms and address issues of social justice, gender, and political repression. A fearless critic of authoritarian regimes, she was involved in the anti-Ayub Khan movement and faced charges of sedition under General Zia's martial law, leading to a period of exile in India. Riaz's literary contributions include several poetry collections, novels, and translations, most notably her translations of Persian and classical Sufi works into Urdu. During her lifetime, she received the Himmett-Hellman Award for Resistance Literature and the Sitara-e-Imtiaz.

Sana R. Chaudhry is a Pakistani writer, translator, and editor known for her contributions to South Asian literature. With a background in the humanities, she has dedicated much of her career to translating works of Urdu literature into English and various literary and cultural projects aimed at preserving and promoting the literary traditions of South Asia.