Lal Singh Dil (1943-2007) was one of the major revolutionary Punjabi poets emerging out of the Naxalite (Maoist-Leninist) Movement in the Indian Punjab towards the late sixties of the 20th century. He has three collections of poetry: Setluj Di Hawa, Bahut Sarey Suraj and Satthar, and a collected volume of all his poems titled Naglok. He published his autobiography, Dastaan, in 1998, while a long poem titled ‘Aj Billa Phir Aaya’ (Billa Came Again Today) was published in 2009, posthumously. Although he had converted to Islam, he continued to publish his works under his pre-conversion name.

Nirupama Dutt is a poet, journalist and translator based in Chandigarh. She writes in Punjabi and English. Her published work includes Ik Nadi Sanwali Jahi (A Stream Somewhat Dark) , a book of poems, for which she received the Punjabi Akademi Award; and Lal Singh Dil: Poet of the Revolution: Memoirs and Poems (Penguin Books, 2012). She has translated and edited Stories of the Soil: Classic Punjabi Stories (Penguin Books, 2010), Half the Sky: Stories by Women Writers of Pakistan (Neha Publishers & Distributors 2004) and a collection of resistance literature from Pakistan, Children of the Night (Unistar 2004). Nirupama’s poetry has been featured on the Poetry Web International. She is convener of a women’s study group called Hamshira.