Alison Hoddinott was a Senior Lecturer at the School of English, Communication and Theatre at the University of New England, Armidale. She was born and raised in Tasmania and studied under Gwen Harwood's husband, F. W. Harwood, in the English Department of the University of Tasmania, Hobart. After graduation in 1952 Hoddinott became F. W. Harwood's research assistant and shortly after met, and formed a life-long friendship with, Gwen Harwood. From 1954-1957, Hoddinott completed her PhD at Oxford University, England and in 1960 moved to Armidale after her husband, W. G. Hoddinott, was offered a permanent lectureship at the University of New England. Between 1990 and 2015, Hoddinott edited and co-edited two books of Harwood's poetry, two books of Harwoood's letters, and wrote one critical study of Harwood's work. She passed away on the 28 November 2022.

Gwen Harwood is one of Australia's best-known poets. She was born in Brisbane in 1920 and lived there until her marriage in 1945, when she moved to Hobart, Tasmania. Harwood's poetry and critical writing appeared regularly in Australian literary journals from the 1960s. She published eight books of poetry. In 1989 she was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for services to literature. She wrote under the names of Francis Geyer, Walter Lehmann, Miriam Stone and T.F. Kline. She died in 1995.

Frank William (Bill) Harwood was born in Brighton, Victoria in 1918. He graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Arts in 1939 and 1940 respectively. From 1941 to 1945, Harwood served as a Lieutenant in the Royal Australian Navy during World War II. After his discharge in 1945, Harwood married Gwendoline Nessie Foster in Brisbane. Soon after, the couple moved to Hobart, Tasmania where Harwood was a linguist and lecturer in the English Department at the University of Tasmania.

William George Hoddinott, born 11 October 1931, was Associate Professor in the English Department of the University of New England (UNE), Armidale. He started at the UNE in 1960 and soon began recording Aboriginal languages. He married Alison Hoddinott in 1955. He died on 22 September 1984.