Overview

Full Product Details

9789774166693

Table of Contents

Reviews

For thinking about how the collective memory of revolution is being created right now, even as the revolution regains its steam, there is no better place to start than with Mona Prince's remarkable memoir of the 25 January Uprising. Revolution is My Name (Ismi Thawra) tells the story of revolution as it unfolds over eighteen days. It is a literary memoir in the best sense of the word. By this, I mean that it expresses and reflects on, rather than documents a set of lived experiences. Moreover, it is not merely a story about the unfolding of a revolution as told by a participant who was there. Arguably, the more important story is about the character of the narrator developing as an evolving, complicated revolutionary. --Elliott Colla, Jadaliyya Prince's prose is experientially unsettling and yet irrationally jovial, much like the iconic eighteen days she so vividly helps us relive. As revolution drifts further into individual and communal memory, Prince's retelling will remain a stubborn testament to the moments of hopeful triumph over the status quo. --Adel Iskandar, scholar of Arab Studies, Georgetown University, Washington DC This book offers a first rate discussion of all the important issues with which Egypt and Egyptians of different classes, genders, generations, ethnic groups, and political orientations continue to struggle. It encourages its readers to stay tuned to see what the Egyptian revolution, and those funny and unpredictable Egyptians, will eventually deliver. --Mervat F. Hatem, Professor of Political Science, Howard University, Washington DC Revolution is My Name is a beautifully written, detailed text, bringing together Facebook statuses, discussions on the streets, at home, and with friends, life on a daily basis in Tahrir, conversations with military and police soldiers, and much more. A must read for anyone interested in the experiential level of the revolution. --Atef Said, Visiting scholar and lecturer in Sociology, the University of Illinois at Chicago

For thinking about how the collective memory of revolution is being created right now, even as the revolution regains its steam, there is no better place to start than with Mona Prince's remarkable memoir of the 25 January Uprising. Revolution is My Name (Ismi Thawra) tells the story of revolution as it unfolds over eighteen days. It is a literary memoir in the best sense of the word. By this, I mean that it expresses and reflects on, rather than documents a set of lived experiences. Moreover, it is not merely a story about the unfolding of a revolution as told by a participant who was there. Arguably, the more important story is about the character of the narrator developing as an evolving, complicated revolutionary. Elliott Colla, Jadaliyya; Prince's prose is experientially unsettling and yet irrationally jovial, much like the iconic eighteen days she so vividly helps us relive. As revolution drifts further into individual and communal memory, Prince's retelling will remain a stubborn testament to the moments of hopeful triumph over the status quo. Adel Iskandar, scholar of Arab Studies, Georgetown University, Washington DC; This book offers a first rate discussion of all the important issues with which Egypt and Egyptians of different classes, genders, generations, ethnic groups, and political orientations continue to struggle. It encourages its readers to stay tuned to see what the Egyptian revolution, and those funny and unpredictable Egyptians, will eventually deliver. Mervat F. Hatem, Professor of Political Science, Howard University, Washington DC; Revolution is My Name is a beautifully written, detailed text, bringing together Facebook statuses, discussions on the streets, at home, and with friends, life on a daily basis in Tahrir, conversations with military and police soldiers, and much more. A must read for anyone interested in the experiential level of the revolution. Atef Said, Visiting scholar and lecturer in Sociology, the University of Illinois at Chicago; Revolution is My Name is an essential read for anyone who wishes to understand, not just the overthrow of Mubarak, but also the Arab Spring and the challenges that many in the Middle East face when it comes to democratization. William Eichler, LSE Review of Books

Author Information

Mona Prince was born in Cairo in 1970. She is associate professor of English Literature at Suez Canal University in Egypt. She has published novels (including So You May See, AUC Press, 2011) and short stories in Arabic, and has translated both poetry and short stories. In 2012, she nominated herself for the Egyptian presidency in the run-up to the country’s first ever democratic presidential elections. Samia Mehrez is professor of Arabic literature in the Department of Arab and Islamic Civilizations and director of the Center for Translation Studies at the American University in Cairo. She is the author of The Literary Atlas of Cairo (AUC Press, 2010) and The Literary Life of Cairo (AUC Press, 2011), and editor of Translating Egypt’s Revolution: The Language of Tahrir (AUC Press, 2012).

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available