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Middle East Centre Booktalk

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Welcome to Middle East Centre Booktalk – the Oxford podcast on new books about the Middle East. These are some of the books written by members of our community, or the books our community are talking about. Tune in to follow author interviews and book chat. Every episode features a different, recently published book and is hosted by a different Oxford academic.

# Episode Title Description People Date
18 Book Launch - Russia and the GCC 'The Case of Tatarstan's Paradiplomacy' Dr. Diana Galeeva introduces her book which examines the relations between the Gulf States and Russia from the Soviet era to the present day. Diana Galeeva, Roy Allison, Eugene Rogan 07 Sep 2023
17 Creative Commons Israel's Covert Diplomacy in the Middle East This lecture explores Israel’s secret relations with its neighbors during the years 1948-2022. Elie Podeh, Eugene Rogan 03 Aug 2023
16 Creative Commons Book Launch: Locked Out of Development: Insiders and Outsiders in Arab Capitalism Dr Hertog presents the key arguments of his new short monograph “Locked Out of Development: Insiders and Outsiders in Arab Capitalism” published by Cambridge University Press. Steffen Hertog, Neil Ketchley 23 Mar 2023
15 Creative Commons Algeria: Politics and Society from the Dark Decade to the Hirak Dr Michael Willis' new book offers an explanation of this unexpected development known as the Hirak Movement, examining the political and social changes that have occurred in Algeria since the ‘dark decade’ of the 1990s Michael Willis, Eugene Rogan 10 Feb 2023
14 Creative Commons Book Launch: Pacted Democracy in the Middle East: Tunisia and Egypt in Comparative Perspective A new theoretical framework for how democracy can emerge in the Middle East and wider Muslim world, where political conflicts over religion often predominate. Hicham Alaoui, Michael Willis 23 Dec 2022
13 Creative Commons Inside Qatar: Hidden Stories from One of the Richest Nations on Earth A talk based on John McManus’s book, Inside Qatar: hidden stories from one of the richest nations on earth. John McManus, Eugene Rogan 06 Dec 2022
12 Creative Commons In the Shade of the Sunna: Salafi Piety in the 20th-Century Middle East Aaron Rock-Singer presents their latest book "In the Shade of the Sunna: Salafi Piety in the 20th-Century Middle East". Aaron Rock-Singer, Usaama al-Azami 06 Dec 2022
11 Creative Commons All Necessary Measures? The United Nations and International Intervention in Libya Ian Martin presents his latest book on Libya: All Necessary Measures? The United Nations and International Intervention in Libya. Ian Martin 29 Nov 2022
10 Creative Commons The Making of the Modern Middle East A vivid and authoritative account of the making of the modern Middle East, from the BBC’s long-serving correspondent in the region. Jeremy Bowen, Eugene Rogan 23 Nov 2022
9 Togo Mizrahi and the Making of Egyptian Cinema Join us for Booktalk Episode 9, Professor Deborah Starr (Cornell University) in conversation about her new book, Togo Mizrahi and the Making of Egyptian Cinema, published by California Press. Deborah Starr, Walter Armbrust 21 Oct 2021
8 Egypt’s Football Revolution: Emotion, Masculinity, and Uneasy Politics Join us for Booktalk Episode 8, Dr Carl Rommel (University of Helsinki) in conversation about his new book Egypt’s Football Revolution: Emotion, Masculinity, and Uneasy Politics, published by University of Texas Press in July 2021. Carl Rommel, Walter Armbrust 29 Sep 2021
7 Making Film in Egypt Join us as we listen to Dr Chihab El Khachab (King’s College, Cambridge) in conversation about his new book – Making Film in Egypt: How Labor, Technology, and Mediation Shape the Industry. Published by American University in Cairo Press. Chihab El Khachab 18 May 2021
6 Booktalk episode 6: Rivals in the Gulf: Yusuf al-Qaradawi, Abdullah Bin Bayyah, and the Qatar-UAE Contest Over the Arab Spring and the Gulf Crisis For our sixth episode of MEC Booktalk, guest author David Warren (Washington University in St Louis) discusses his recent book, Rivals in the Gulf, published by Routledge in January 2021. David Warren, Usaama al-Azami 12 Apr 2021
5 A Revolution in Rhyme: Poetic Co-option under the Islamic Republic Guest author Dr Fatemeh Shams (Assistant Professor of Modern Persian Literature, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, University of Pennsylvania) talks with Booktalk host Dr Zuzanna Olszewska (University of Oxford). Fatemeh Shams, Zuzanna Olszewska 04 Mar 2021
4 The Caliphate of Man: Popular Sovereignty in Modern Islamic Thought Join us for the fourth MEC Booktalk episode where Dr Usaama al-Azami talks with guest author Andrew March about his new book, The Caliphate of Man: The Invention of Popular Sovereignty in Modern Islamic Thought, published by Harvard University Press, 2021 Usaama al-Azami, Andrew March 16 Feb 2021
3 Rediscovering the Islamic Classics: How Editors and Print Culture Transformed an Intellectual Tradition Join us for the third MEC Booktalk episode where Dr Usaama al-Azami talks with guest author Ahmed El Shamsy about his new book, Rediscovering the Islamic Classics: How Editors and Print Culture Transformed an Intellectual Tradition. Ahmed El Shamsy, Usaama al-Azami 07 Feb 2021
2 The Idols of ISIS: From Assyria to the Internet Episode 2, with Dr Faisal Devji, (St Antony’s College, Oxford), talks with Joshua Craze (University of Chicago) and writer Aaron Tugendhaft about Aaron's new book The Idols of ISIS: From Assyria to the Internet, University of Chicago Press 2020. Faisal Devji, Joshua Craze, Aaron Tugendhaft 18 Jan 2021
1 Vision or Mirage: Saudi Arabia at the Crossroads First episode of Booktalk, where host Professor Eugene Rogan (St Antony's College, Oxford) talks with David Rundell on his book Vision or Mirage: Saudi Arabia at the Crossroads, Bloomsbury Publication (2020. Eugene Rogan, David Rundell 18 Jan 2021