كريستوفر أوكيموا محاضر في الأدب ومدير مجلس الدراسات العليا بجامعة كيسي في كينيا. وهو مؤسس ومدير مهرجان كيستريتش الدولي للشعر في كينيا. تشمل مجموعات أوكيموا الشعرية العناوين الآتية وترجماتها إلى عدة لغات The Gong (Nsemia Inc., 2010), PurgatoriusIgnis (تُرجمت إلى الفرنسية; Nsemia Inc., 2016), Ominous Clouds (ترجمت إلى النرويجية والفنلندية، واليونانية; Nsemia Inc., 2018); The Pieta (تُرجمت إلى الأرمينية; Narcis, 2019), A Withering Rose (ترجمت إلى البولندية 2019) and Love from Afro Catalonia (Nsemia Inc. 2020). وقد نشر أوكيموا مجموعة قصصية بعنوان Chubot, the Cursed One and Other Stories (Nsemia Inc., 2011). ونشر أيضا أربعة نصوص شفاهية أدبية للأطفال، وفاز عام 2015 بجائزة بيرت الكندية Canadian Burt Award للأدب الأفريقي. شارك أوكيموا في العديد من المهرجانات الشعرية الدولية حول العالم؛ مهرجان الشعر الدولي العشرين في ميدلين (كولومبيا) عام 2010 برعاية صندوق الأمير كلوز، ضيف مهرجان بينالي الشعر السابع والعشرين في لييج (بلجيكا) عام 2012، ضيف مهرجان الشعر الثالث في إسطنبول (تركيا) عام 2018. كما حل شاعرًا زائرًا في مهرجان الشعر الدولي في هانوي (فيتنام) خلال شهر فبراير من العام الماضي؛ وحظي بإقامة للكتابة الإبداعية في فابر ريترز ريزيدنسيز في أولوت ، قطالونيا (إسبانيا) مايو 2019 ، وخلالها كتب واستكمل مجموعة من القصائد بعنوان الحب من الأفرو قطالوني (2019). حصل أوكيموا على درجة الدكتوراه في الأدب من جامعة موي ، كينيا ، وكان عنوان أطروحته “A Study of the Kwani? Open Mic ‘Literary-Gangsta’ Performance Poetry of Kenya.” وهو حاصل أيضًا على درجة الماجستير ودرجة البكالوريوس في التربية في الأدب ، جامعة نيروبي ، كينيا وتضم قائمة أوكيموا لمشروعه في نشر أنطولوجيا للشعر الأفريقي المعاصر أكثر من مائة شاعر وشاعرة ينتمون لهذه المجموعة من الدول: كينيا (20)، مصر (11)، بوتسوانا (3)، الكاميرون ( 13)، تشاد ( 1)، إريتريا (1)، غانا (4)، ليسوتو (7)، ليبيريا (1)، مالاوي (1)، موريشيوس (1)، المغرب (3)، موزمبيق (3)، ناميبيا (7)، نيجيريا (11)، جنوب أفريقيا (4)، السودان (1)، توجو (4)، زيمبابوي (5)، وتونس (9 شعراء)… في نظرة عامة، يرى أوكيموا أن هناك قصائد رائعة وشعراء مجيدين في دول مثل نيجيريا ومصر وتونس والكاميرون، فهم مشهورون ومعروفون في جميع أنحاء العالم،وقد نشر معظمهم كثيرا من المجموعات الشعرية. لكنه يرى أن بلدانا مثل بوتسوانا وتنزانيا والسودان وإريتريا ليست لديها الميزة نفسها ، فهي إما أنها تعاني اقتصاديًا ، أو تعاني من عدم الاستقرار السياسي بها ، لذا هناك عدد أقل من الشعراء ولم يحظون بالانتشار، وقد قلت إسهاماتهم بقصائد لمختارات مثل هذه الانطولوجيا. وحول المشاركات المختارة من مصر: “ساهم الشعراء المصريون بقصائد رائعة في هذه المختارات. الشعر الجيد يأتي أيضا من تونس ونيجيريا. معظم الشعراء المصريين على درجة كبيرة من السلم العلمي، وفيهم أساتذة ممن حظوا بالتقدير المرموق حول العالم، ويكتبون قصائد مميزة… والشعراء المصريون هم الأكثر ارتباطًا عندما يتعلق الأمر بتقديم قصائدهم. يبدو أنهم يعرفون أهمية مختارات مثل هذه الانطولوجيا. لذا هم داعمون لي في هذا المشروع. وسوف يوصلونك بسهولة إلى شعراء آخرين حول العالم. هذا هو ما يفعله التعليم للفرد. والملاحظة الأخيرة أن الشعراء المصريين نشروا عدة كتب شعرية وساهموا بقصائد في مختارات مثل هذه المجموعة ويبدو أنهم بدأوا الكتابة في وقت مبكر ومعظمهم يحصلون على الدعم بفضل أعمالهم”. Ahmed Yamani(Cairo, Egypt 1970) is currently living in Spain since 200. He has published five poetry collections in Arabic and one collection of poems in Spanish language. He is also published in many magazines and journals in the Arabic speaking world as a writer and a translator. He is a holder of Bachelor degree from Cairo University 1992, and a PhD degree in Arabic Literature from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. He worked as a Associate Professor at the Complutense University of Madrid (2018-2019). Currently he is working as a programmer and anchor in the international Spanish Radio [La Corporación de Radio y Televisión Española (RTVE)]. ArifKhudairi(Egypt) is an Egyptian poet, novelist, short story writer, fabulist, editor, and translator,ArifKarkhiAbukhudairi (better known as ArifKhudairi) is professor in Arabic literature. He has written nine poetry books in Arabic. His English anthologies include TreesLeaves (1998), Rubaiyat of ArifKhudairi (2004), Love Poems of ArifKhudairi (2011), Song of Peace (2019), and The Fluteand Other Prose Poems (2019). His novel, The Eighth Voyage of Sindbad (1999) is seen by critics as a highly symbolic narrative of good versus evil, altruism versus selfishness, of materialism versus spirituality. He received numerous awards and has participated in international poetry festivals in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America. His works have been translated into twenty languages. He has been included in the International Who’s Who in Translation and Terminology, London, 1995, the International Who’s Who in Poetry, California, 2005, the Anthology of Universal Poets, Madrid, 2010, and the Encyclopediaof Global Poets, Argentine, 2016.In addition, ArifKhudairi is an accomplished translator and biographer. He translated into Arabic eight Korean, Malaysian, Bruneian, Pakistani, English, and American volumes of poetry and he wrote biographies of poets such as Kim Sowol (1984), Muhammad Iqbal (2004), and ShukriZain (2006).). Khudairi is a member ofthe Egyptian Writers Association, Cairo, Egypt, and the Haiku International Association, Tokyo, Japan. DeemaMahmood (Egypt) born in 1972 is the author of poetry collections titled Braids of Spirit (Dar Al-Adham, Cairo, 2015), I Pick Quarrels with the Horizon over a Violin ( Dar Al Ain, Cairo, 2017). She attained a Bachelor degree in Computer Sciences and Statistics in 1993. She has been a Professor assistant for many years in the departments of Computer sciences, Mathematics and Statistics in both the College of Education and the College of Health Sciences in Abha, Saudi Arabia. Many of her poems have been translated into English, French, Spanish and Portuguese and published in several anthologies in those languages. She has also participated in many poetry and cultural local and International Festivals and events. EmadFouad(Egypt) is a poet, novelist, and columnist based in Antwerp, Belgium. Born in Egypt in 1974, his poetry collections include This is the Language of the Lucky Preys (Merit for Publishing and Distribution, Cairo 2019), A wolf Which We Fell his Way with Traps ( The Egyptian Bureau for Publications, Cairo; and al-Warda Publications, Brussels 2016), The second edition of The Modern Egyptian Poetry Anthology (The Egyptian Bureau for Publications, Cairo; and al-Warda Publications, Brussels 2016), Ten Ways to Maim a Dead Body ( Al-Adab Publishing House, Beirut, 2010), Silk (Al-Nahda al-Arabia Publishing House, Beirut, 2007), Shepherds of Shades are the Guardians of Isolation Too. The first edition of The Modern Egyptian Poetry Anthology (Al- Bayt Association for Culture and Arts, Alger, 2007), With a Black and Blue Bite of Regret (Sharqiat Publications, Cairo, 2005), Retirement of an Old Womanizer (Sharqiat Publications, Cairo, 2002), Ghosts Wounded by the Light (Al-Kitaba al-Okhra Books, Cairo 1998). He has also published one novel, Status Zero (Merit for Publishing and Distribution, Cairo 2015). Emad has also translated many prominent Dutch and Flemish poets to Arabic. Selected poems from his works were translated to French and published under the title of Bruissement, al-Manar Publications and VoixVives Poetry Festival, Sète France 2018. Mohab Nasr(Egypt) is a poet and writer. Born in Alexandria, Egypt in 1962. He received a bachelor degree in Arabic language and literature from Alexandria university in 1984. He started publishing poems and articles in 1987 in various Egyptian and Arab magazines and periodicals like: Ebdaa’ (Creativity), Alsha’r(Poetry), Al-Karmil, Al-Hayat, Al-Kahira(Cairo), Akhbar El-Adab and many others. He also has been the co-founder of the two literary magazines Al Arba’iyoun (The Wednesdayists) and Amkina (Places). Mohab has published three collections of poetry: That a bird steal your eyes (Cairo; General Egyptian Book Organization; 1996), Lord, give us a book that we might read (Cairo; Al-Ain; 2011) and Don’t wake the people, darling (Cairo; General Egyptian Book Organization; 2018). AzmiAbdulwahab(Egypt) has published eight collections of poetry in Cairo and Beirut, including Windows Have No Effect, Names are Not Appropriate for Places, With Many Black Lies, Immediately after the Angel’s Exit, The Old Lighthouse Guard, A Person Who Deserves to Hate, He Walks in the Storm, The Mistake of the Circus Player & A lone Wolf in the Open (poetic anthology). His prose books include, Ghosts on the Way to the House & Faces Looking Out from the Mirrors of the Soul. Azmi holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Arabic from Mansoura University. He is a member of the Egyptian Syndicate of Journalists, head of the cultural section of the “Al-Ahram Al-Arabi” weekly magazine & head of the cultural section at the office of the Emirati newspaper, Al Khaleej, in Cairo. Gamal el Kassas (Egypt) has published several volumes of poetry, including The Quarrel of the Rose (1984), The Sun of Marble (1991), No Cloud Igniting the Well (1995), The Cloud in the Mirror (1998), From Above Along the Music, Columbus on the Edge, The Quadruple of Alexandria, The Women of the Balcony are Blue Walls (2017). Mohammed El Hedeiny (Egypt) has published one collection of poetry, Orchestra Plays A Silent Tune,(Egypt, 2019) and a number of very short stories including “Flying Down Birds” (Kuwait, 2014), “Outside The Sides Of The Circle” ( Egypt, 2015), “Adams Tragedy” (Egypt, 2016) & “Nobody There” (Egypt, 2017). He is currently living in Kuwait and earns a living as a teacher of English. Manar Hassan Fateh El-Bab(Egypt) has a history loaded with talent and immense creative skills. She is a short story, novel, poetry writer and an academic literary critic. In total she has written 13 books. She has won numerous literary prizes including The State Prize for Creativity for her collection Al-Qetar la YasselEla Al-Bahr (1995), The National Center for Child Culture, The Supreme Council of Culture (1997) and the War Literature Prize for Child Literature (2000). She has been professor in various Universities in the world. AlaaAbdelHadi (Egypt), Born in Tanta, 1956, poet, critic. Ph. D. in Literary Criticism/Comparative Literature. on “Performative Manifestations in Early Arabic Heritage and the Theatrical Genre“,Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1997.Winner of the International Award Füst Milán from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences , International Phoenix Festival Medal in its second round (2008-2012) in Iraq and 2009 Abu El-Qassem El-Shabi Award celebrating El- Shabi’s millennial in Tunisia. He is the Secretary General of Arab Writers’ Union and the Chairman of the Egyptian Writers’ Union. Founder &Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Egyptian Society of Genre & Comparative Poetics (2014 – present). His Volumes of Poetry: Like Springs of Water, Thirst Reveals You, issue no. 1, Cairo, Dar El- Waha: 1987; issue no. 2, Cairo,Egyptian Book Authority: 2005. The volume includes a number of his poems written and published during the seventies (1976-1980) Ashes Milk, Cairo, Dar Saed: 1994. Circle Talk: Prose Poetic Drama, Cairo, Dar Saed: 1994. Hidden Death Prophecy Books, Cairo, Egyptian Book Authority: 1996 Water Biography, Cairo, Arab Civilization Center: 1998. Dust, Cairo, Arab Civilization Center: 2000. The Ghain Dictionary, issue no. 1, Cairo, Egyptian Book Authority: 2002; issue no. 2, Cairo, Egyptian Book Authority: 2007.The Song, issue no. 1, Cairo, General Authority for Culture Palaces: 2003; issue. No. 2, Cairo, Egyptian Book Authority: 2005.Melancholy, issue no. 1, Cairo, Arab Civilization Center, 2003; issue no. 2, Cairo, Arab Civilization Center, 2004. A Negligent Detected by a Shadow, issue no. 1, Cairo, General Authority for Culture Palaces: 2007; issue. No. 2, Cairo, Egyptian Book Authority: 2009G. Icarus or Plotting the Dark: Diaries of the January Revolution, Cairo, Egyptian Book Authority: 2020 Henna Fate: Thus the Garden Spoke, Cairo, Egyptian Book Authority: 2020 Ashraf Aboul-Yazid (Egypt) has published five poetry collections in Arabic, namely, Washwashat Al Bahr, (the Whisper of the Sea), Cairo, 1989; Al Asdaf, (the Shells), Cairo, 1996; Zakirat Al Samt, (the Memory of Silence), Beirut, 2000; FawqaSirat Al Mawt (On the Passage of Death), Cairo, 2001; and Zakirat Al Farashat, (the Memory of Butterflies), Cairo, 2005. His other non-Arabic poetry books include Unacalleen el Cairo, (A street in Cairo), (Spanish), Casa de Poesa – Editorial UCR, Costa Rica, 2010; YaraliGÜvercinlerIrmaği (Turkish), Artshop, Istanbul, Turkey, 2012; The Memory of Butterflies (Persian), Afraz, Tehran, 2013; The Memory of Silence (English), Poetrywala, Mumbai, 2016; The Whisper of the Sea (Spanish), Casa de Poesa – Editorial UCR, Costa Rica, 2018. His Arabic Fiction works include Shamawes (Novel), Cairo, 2008; HadiqaKhalfeyya (A Backyard Garden) (Novel), Cairo, 2011; (31) (Novel), Cairo, 2011; and At-Turjoman (the Translator), Battana, Cairo, 2017. His first novel; (Shamawes), was translated into Korean and published in Seoul, South Korea, 2008; and another fiction work was translated into Malayalam titled A Backyard Garden, Calicut, India, 2017. He has written three travel books in Arabic and has nine Arabic translations of texts written in English. Ashraf has been editor of various journals and magazines and is the winner of two major awards: Manhae Grand Prize in Literature | South Korea | 2014; and Arab Journalism Award in Culture | UAE | 2015.