Born in 1946, Jean-Paul Daoust is one of the central figures in the Quebec poetry scene. He has participated in over 50 literary reviews and magazines. He has published more than a dozen books of poetry and, in 190, won the Governor General's Award for Poetry. Black Diva is the first English translation of his work in book form.

Daniel Sloate (1931-2009) was a prolific poet, playwright and translator. He was the author of numerous books, including I is Another and Of Dissonance and Shadows. Sloate attended the University of Western Ontario (where he obtained an B.A. in French and English) and obtained a doctorate in French literature from the Sorbonne. He taught translation at the Translators' School in Paris before taking a position also teaching translation at the Université de Montréal, where he remained until his retirement in 1995.