A cultural critic, an intellectual, and a feminist writer, bell hooks is best known for classic books including Feminist Theory, Bone Black, All About Love, Rock My Soul, Belonging, We Real Cool, Where We Stand, Teaching to Transgress, Teaching Community, Outlaw Culture, and Reel to Real. hooks is Distinguished Professor in Residence in Appalachian Studies at Berea College, and resides in her home state of Kentucky.

Stuart Hall (1932-2014) was born in Kingston, Jamaica and came to England in 1951. He was a pioneering cultural theorist, political activist, and founding editor of the New Left Review. He was one of the most influential and adventurous critical thinkers of the last half century, widely recognised as a key figure in the development of cultural studies.