Mahmoud Darwish was a renowned Palestinian poet and author who was widely regarded as Palestine's national poet. He was born on March 13, 1941, in Al-Birwa, in the British Mandate of Palestine, and passed away on August 9, 2008, in Houston.

Darwish's poetry often centered around themes of Palestine as a metaphor for the loss of Eden, birth, and resurrection, as well as the anguish of dispossession and exile. He skillfully reflected the tradition of the political poet in Islam, being described as a "man of action whose action is poetry."

In 1988, he wrote the Palestinian Declaration of Independence, marking a significant moment for the creation of a State of Palestine. Throughout his life, Darwish received numerous accolades for his literary contributions, including the Lotus Prize (1969), Lenin Peace Prize (1983), and the Golden Wreath of Struga Poetry Evenings (2007).

Darwish's poetic influence extended globally, and his works were admired for their eloquence and profundity. In addition to Arabic, he spoke English, French, and Hebrew, and served as an editor for several literary magazines in Israel and the Palestinian territories.