Najati Sidqi was a journalist and writer, a translator of Russian classics, and an outspoken opponent of Nazism. Margaret Litvin is an associate professor of Arabic and comparative literature at Boston University. Her literary translations include Egyptian writer Sonallah Ibrahim's novel Ice. Anas Farhan holds a BA in international relations from Boston University. Gideon Gordon holds a BA in international relations and Middle East & North Africa studies from Boston University. He is a 2024-2025 Center for Arabic Study Abroad fellow.