Sherko Fayaq Abdullah, was a Kurdish poet. He was born on 2 May 1940 in Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region in Iraq as the son of the poet Fayak Bekas. He is widely regarded as the greatest Kurdish national poet and one of the poets who founded contemporary Kurdish poetry. Sherko's poetry explores liberty, love, life, and nature while reflecting the contemporary political, cultural, and spiritual conditions of the Kurdish people. Sherko's poetry on freedom and liberty has influenced many poets such as Ahmad Shamlou and Ali Salehi.

Sulaymaniyah or Slemani, is a city in the east of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, not far from the Iran–Iraq border. It is surrounded by the Azmar (Ezmer), Goizha (Goyje) and Qaiwan (Qeywan) Mountains in the northeast, Baranan Mountain in the south and the Tasluja Hills in the west. The city has a semi-arid climate with very hot dry summers and cold wet winters.