Sahar Khalifeh was born in Nablus in 1941 and is the author of eight novels, including Of Noble Origins (AUC Press, 2012). She holds a PhD in women's studies and American literature from the University of Iowa. She divides her time between Amman and Nablus.

Aidan Bamia is professor emerita of Arabic language and literature at the University of Florida. She is the translator of a number of Arabic novels, including Heart of the Night by Naguib Mahfouz (AUC Press, 2011).