Zaira Arsenishvili (1933–2015) was a writer and screenwriter. A philologist by education, she also studied violin at a music college. For some time, she worked as a music teacher and played in the Opera House orchestra. Later, her talent flourished through her collaboration with director Lana Gogoberidze. Together, they wrote screenplays for films such as When Almonds Blossom, Turmoil in Salkhineti, Several Interviews on Personal Matters, and others. 

Zaira was the author of several novels and short stories. Her books became widely known only after her death, when they were republished by Sulakauri between 2019 and 2023. The novel Woe is Life is a bestselling favorite among Georgian readers, as are another novel, Requiem, and three collections of essays, short stories, and plays.