Dr. Maha El Hissy is an independent literary scholar, curator and critic. She has taught and researched on contemporary German literature in Cairo, Munich, Berkeley, London and Berlin. As a literary critic, she writes for the Berliner Zeitung, taz, and Deutschlandfunk Kultur. She is editor of the forthcoming anthology "Die ganze Geschichte fasse ich an der Hand. Kunst und Literatur zur Einwanderung ins Nachkriegsdeutschland" on the art and literature of immigration to post-war Germany with Verbrecher Verlag. El Hissy is the curator of the event series "Vorzeichen" for the Goethe-Institut Northwest Europe. She is the Distinguished Visiting Max Kade Professor at Columbia University in New York in Spring 2025.

Maria Hosein was born in Afghanistan and raised in Germany. She studied Art, English, and Politics, earning her Master of Education at the University of Hildesheim, where she also held teaching positions, as well as at other universities. For over 10 years, she has been teaching in secondary schools and is pursuing a PhD in art education at the University of Potsdam. Her art works have been exhibited internationally, since 2016. Socially engaged, she is part of different projects and initiatives. She serves on the board of an NGO and was deputy chair and co-founder of another NGO in Germany.

Born in Kabul, Afghanistan, Dr. Abdul Ghafoor Liwal is a prominent scholar in literature, journalism, and diplomacy. Holding a PhD from Allameh Tabataba'i University and a Master’s from Kabul University, he served as Afghanistan’s Ambassador to Iran and advised the former President on Borders & Tribal Affairs. A prolific author, he has published 28 books and 200+ articles, contributing extensively to Afghan culture, media, and academia.

Rahraw Omarzad is Formerly a professor at the Faculty of Fine Arts at Kabul University. In 2004, he founded the Center for Contemporary Arts Afghanistan (CCAA) 2004, as well as Afghanistan’s first and only Women’s Art Center 2006, empowering female artists in a challenging cultural landscape. He also serves as the founder and editor of the  art magazine, “Ghanama-e-Hunar”.
Omarzad’s video works have been exhibited worldwide, including Documenta 13 in Kassel. Forced to relocate due to the evolving situation in Afghanistan, he reestablished the CCAA in Exile (2023) in Frankfurt, Germany, along with a group of his students. Mr. Omarzad was also a guest professor at Städelschule Frankfurt.

Roya Sadat