Unoma Azuah is a professor of English at Wiregrass Georgia Technical College, Valdosta, GA, USA. Her research and activism focus on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) rights in Nigeria. Recently, she concluded a book project on the lives of gay Nigerians entitled, Blessed Body: Secret Lives of LGBT Nigerians. In 2011 she was listed as a top professor in the online publication, Affordable/Private Colleges and Universities in the United States. She is also recognized by The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education under the topic, “Honors for Four Black Educators.” Some of her writing awards include the Hellman/Hammett human rights award, the Urban Spectrum award for her debut novel, Sky-high flames, Aidoo-Synder award for sophomore novel Edible Bones and the Flora Nwapa- Association of Nigerian Authors award. The prestigious Ms. Magazine describes her just released memoir, “Embracing My Shadow: growing up a lesbian in Nigeria,” as powerful.

Prof J. McAllister is a Canadian who taught English literature, academic and professional writing, and public speaking in Kenya and Botswana for more than 25 years. He has published scholarly articles and given conference presentations on eighteenth-century British fiction, African colonial literature, and post-colonial African cultural identities. He has also worked for many years as an editorial consultant to businesses and NGOs, writing or editing numerous publications on a wide range of subjects. He was the founding editor of two successful, pioneering African magazines: Future Positive, a lifestyle quarterly for people living with HIV and AIDS in Botswana, and Q-zine, an online quarterly on African LGBT arts and culture published by the Queer African Youth Network (QAYN). Over the years, Prof McAllister has mentored many emerging African writers. He helped run the writers’ workshop at the University of Botswana for several years and was also a trustee of Petlo Literary Trust, as well as participating in many short-term initiatives to assist young writers from Botswana, Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, Tanzania, Cameroon, Namibia, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe.