Ahmet Altan, born in 1950, is one of Turkey's most important writers. In the purge following the failed coup in July 2016, Altan was sent to prison pending trial for giving "subliminal messages" in support of overthrowing the government. In February 2018 he was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Fifty-one Nobel laureates signed an open letter to President Erdogan calling for Altan's release. His memoir I Will Never See the World Again was published by Other Press in 2019. Altan was released from prison in April 2021.

Yasemin Çongar is the cofounder and director of P24, a not-for profit platform for independent journalism in Istanbul. She is also the founder of K24, a Turkish literary review, and of the Istanbul Literature House. An editor, essayist and translator, Çongar is the author of four books in Turkish.