Laura Vazquez is a leading figure in contemporary French literature, and winner of the 2023 Prix Goncourt for poetry. Her debut novel, The Endless Week, won the Prix de la Page 111 and was a finalist for the Prix Wepler, and her debut collection of poetry The Hand of the Hand, won the Prix de la Vocation. She published her first play, the lesbian tragedy Zero, in 2024. Vazquez regularly gives readings around the world in venues such as the Ming Contemporary Art Museum in Shanghai and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. She lives in Marseille, France.

Alex Niemi is a writer and award-winning literary translator. She is the recipient of an NEA fellowship, the Heldt Prize, and the AATSEEL Prize for best poetry translation from a Slavic language. Her translations include For the Shrew and Hekate by Anna Glazova, as well as The John Cage Experiences by Vincent Tholomé. She also is the author of the poetry chapbook Elephant.