Pedro Pereira Lopes was born in 1987 in Zambezia Province, central Mozambique. He studied Public Policy in Beijing and is a researcher and professor at the School of Governance of Joaquim Chissano University in Maputo. He is a prolific writer, encompassing poetry, short stories, travel accounts, essays, and a published novel. He has authored 16 books, including many for children and young adults, such as “A história do João Gala-Gala” (2017), co-authored with musician Chico António, and “Por que é um livro mágico?” (2020), co-authored with Angelina Neves. He also organized the anthology “Primeiro livro de poesia — uma introdução aos poetas de Moçambique” (2022). His distinctions include the Lusofonia Award (Portugal, 2010), the Maria Odete de Jesus Award (Mozambique, 2016), the INCM/Eugénio Lisboa Award (Portugal, 2017), the Bunkyo Literature Award (Brazil, 2019), the African Writer Excellence Award (Brazil, 2019), the Mozambican National Award for Children and Youth Literature (2024), and the Imprensa Nacional/Vasco Graça Moura Award (Portugal, 2024). His book of micro-stories, “O livro do homem líquido” (2021), was shortlisted for the Oceanos Prize in 2022. Since 2020, he has been the chief editor and founder of Gala-Gala publishing house.

Ali Akbar Natiq is a Pakistani poet, novelist, and short-story writer. Acclaimed as one of the brightest stars in Pakistan's literary firmament, Natiq has published many books. His first collection of poetry "Beyaqeen Bastiyon Mein" appeared in 2010, followed by a book of short stories "Qaim Deen" published by Oxford University Press in 2012. All two books have received UBL and Oxford Awards. Penguin Random House India published the English version of the aforementioned collection of the short stories titled "What Will You Give For This Beauty?" His story "Mason's Hand" has been featured in international literary magazine Granta in its special issue on Pakistan in 2011. In 2013, he published another book of poems "Yaqoot Ke Warq", from which selected poems were translated into German. His first novel "Naulakhi Kothi" was launched at 6th Karachi Literature Festival. The novel was translated into English and published by Penguin India. In 2015, after being inspired by Natiq's book Qaim Deen, Indian actor and theatre director Danish Husain adapted four of his short stories in his play "Ek Punjab Ye Bhi" which opened during the Prithvi Theatre Festival at Prithvi Theatre, Mumbai. Natiq next published second book of short stories named "Shah Muhammad Ka Tanga" in Urdu. This book has been translated into Hindi and English in same name from Delhi by Jagarnath Publishing, India. On 16 July 2018, the American daily newspaper The New York Times published his article on the topic of democracy in Pakistan. He originally wrote the article in Urdu language, which was translated by Basharat Peer in English. His second novel "Kamari Wala" was published in 2020.