Forough Farrokhzad

Forough Farrokhzad (1934–1967) was born in Tehran, and is considered one of Iran's most significant poets. Her poems describe a nuanced female point of view and life experience with aching beauty and deep passion. Farrokhzad published multiple volumes in her lifetime, including Reborn (1964), her fourth collection, considered a major achievement at the time. Her short, poetic documentary The House is Black (1962) is a landmark of Iranian cinema and the modern documentary in general. It is the only film she directed in her short lifetime. Farrokhzad died tragically in a car accident in 1967. Her poetry remained banned for more than two decades after the Islamic Revolution. Portrait of Forough Farrokhzad (above): Ebrahim Golestan

Audre Lorde

Audre Lorde, also known as Gamba Adisa or Rey Domini (1934–1992), was an American poet, essayist, and autobiographer celebrated for her passionate writings on Black lesbian feminism, the importance of the struggle for liberation among oppressed peoples, and of organizing in coalition across differences of race, gender, sexual orientation, class, age, and ability. Her numerous publications include The First Cities (1968), From a Land Where Other People Live (1973), Hanging Fire (1978), The Black Unicorn (1978) The Cancer Journals (1980), A Burst of Light (1988), and many others, including the recent posthumous collection Your Silence Will Not Protect You, published by Silver Press (2017). Portrait of Audre Lorde (above): Dagmar Schultz