In this Conversation, we talked to Rania Matar about her career in exploring issues of personal and collective identity, through photographs of female adolescence and womanhood. Rania’s works focus on notions of identity and individuality all within the context of the underlying universality of these experiences. Created & hosted by Mikey Muhanna , afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About the afikra Conversations: Our long-form...
Nov 24, 2021•28 min•Ep. 145
In this Quartertones event, we listened to Clarissa Bitar as he performed three musical pieces; taqasim, bayari & al-mizan. Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna , afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Quartertones: QuarterTones is a music show. It is an opportunity to listen to music, across genres, from musicians of and from the Arab world. This series is similar to NPR’s All Songs Considered that is focused on the Arab wo...
Nov 22, 2021•27 min•Ep. 144
In this Conversation, we talked to Majid Alyousef about his career in modern and abstract calligraphy. Majid founded Calligraforms, a radical new movement that re-imagines calligraphy, offering abstract perspectives that draw upon the language of aesthetics, beauty, form, and balance. Created by Mikey Muhanna , afikra Hosted by Aya Nimer Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About the afikra Conversations: Our long-form interview series feat...
Nov 19, 2021•25 min•Ep. 143
In this event, we talked to Mohamed Somji and Farah Fayed about the future of the Arab Image. Tasmeem Doha 2022: Radical Futures is an inclusive and multi-faceted view of the future, one that not only speculates on technological advancements—but on future threats and changes whether environmental, geographical, cultural, or social. Now more than ever, we must ask pertinent questions, raise critical dialogues, and respond with clarity. Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna , afikra Edited by: Ram...
Nov 19, 2021•26 min•Ep. 142
In this Matbakh event, we talked to Bethany Kehdy about her writings on cuisines of the Mediterranean, Middle East and North Africa. Bethany was elected one of the four Mediterranean Food Ambassadors in 2012 and won several awards for publishing “The Jewelled Kitchen” in 2013. Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna , afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on food and drink of ...
Nov 15, 2021•27 min•Ep. 141
In this Outline event, we talked to Carol Sansour about her latest project, In the Time of the Apricots. The book is a collection of poems that has been translated to Arabic, English and French. Art critic and writer Youssef Rakha describes this book as “a post-national discourse of belonging by necessity which, in its truth aesthetic, speaks more eloquently to the human condition than to any political agenda.” Created by Mikey Muhanna , afikra Hosted by Nisrine Shehadeh Edited by: Ramzi Ramman ...
Nov 12, 2021•25 min•Ep. 140
In this Conversation, we talked to Hoda Elsadda about her research on Arab literary history from a gender perspective where she attempts to answer the question: if gender is a category of analysis, how would we rewrite the history of the Arab literary tradition? Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna , afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About the afikra Conversations: Our long-form interview series features academics, arts, and med...
Nov 10, 2021•30 min•Ep. 139
In this Double Exposure event, we talked to Tanya Habjouqa and Tasneem Alsultan about their work, motivations, stories behind their photos, and catalogues. Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna , afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Double Exposure: Double Exposure focuses on photography and photographers in and of the Arab world. The series is a collaboration with Gulf Photo Plus (GPP), Dubai’s center for photography and a com...
Nov 09, 2021•29 min•Ep. 138
In this Matbakh event, we talked to Kamal Mouzawak about how he founded the first farmers market in Lebanon, leading a social and environmental change and transformation. Kamal, through Souk El Tayeb, had the vision of celebrating food and traditions that unite communities and promoting small-scale farmers and producers and the culture of sustainable agriculture. Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna , afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_ya...
Nov 05, 2021•29 min•Ep. 137
In this Conversation, we talked to Lamia Joreige about her career in art and film and how she portrays history through narration. Lamia, rooted in her country’s experience, explores the possibilities of representing the Lebanese wars and their aftermath. Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna , afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About the afikra Conversations: Our long-form interview series features academics, arts, and media exper...
Nov 03, 2021•29 min•Ep. 136
In this Conversation, we talked to Tarek El-Ariss about his academic work on Al Nahda, contemporary Arabic culture and media, comparative literature and critical theory, and digital and visual culture. Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna , afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About the afikra Conversations: Our long-form interview series features academics, arts, and media experts who are helping document and/or shape the history ...
Nov 02, 2021•29 min•Ep. 135
In this Matbakh event, we talked to Anissa Helou about how her work and writings on cuisines and culinary heritage of the Middle East, Mediterranean and North Africa. She is the author of award-winning cookbooks “Sweet Middle East”, “Levant”, “The Fifth Quarter”, “An Offal Cookbook,” and more. Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna , afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Matbakh: Matbakh is a conversation series that focuses on f...
Oct 29, 2021•30 min•Ep. 134
In this Quartertones event, we listened to Layth Sidiq as he performed three musical pieces, of which two are composed by him and talked to him about these pieces. Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna , afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Quartertones: QuarterTones is a music show. It is an opportunity to listen to music, across genres, from musicians of and from the Arab world. This series is similar to NPR’s All Songs Consi...
Oct 27, 2021•30 min•Ep. 133
In this Conversation, we talked to John Waterbury about his work as a leading source in politics in the Arab region, his 10-year journey as an AUB president, and higher education in the arab region.. Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna , afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About the afikra Conversations: Our long-form interview series features academics, arts, and media experts who are helping document and/or shape the history an...
Oct 25, 2021•31 min•Ep. 132
In this Outline event, we talked to Adib Dada about his latest project, Beirut RiverLESS Urban Forest. Beirut RiverLESS offers a set of replicable interventions to rehabilitate lost ecosystems and improve the living conditions and quality of life of people in the city who live along the river and to restore the area’s biodiversity. Adib Dada is the founder of theOtherDada [tOD] Regenerative Consultancy & Architecture firm, which mission is to activate projects across architecture, living sys...
Oct 22, 2021•29 min•Ep. 131
In this Matbakh event, we talked to Fadi Kattan about how his cuisine and savoir-faire combine worldly influences, a desire for perfection and a passion for the local terroir. When Fadi started his Fawda Restaurant in 2016, he created a cuisine honoring Palestine’s best produce with a modern twist, raising to the challenge of rendering this traditional kitchen into a gourmet dining experience. Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna , afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani htt...
Oct 20, 2021•29 min•Ep. 130
In this Conversation, we talked to Linda K. Jacobs about her interest in promoting Middle Eastern culture and knowledge in the United States. Having all four of her grandparents’ members of the New York Syrian Colony, Linda is at work on a study of all the Syrian colonies in the United States. Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna , afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About the afikra Conversations: Our long-form interview series fe...
Oct 18, 2021•30 min•Ep. 129
In this Double Exposure event, we talked to Tanya Traboulsi and Tamara Abdul Hadi about their work, motivations, stories behind their photos, and catalogues. Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna , afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Double Exposure: Double Exposure focuses on photography and photographers in and of the Arab world. The series is a collaboration with Gulf Photo Plus (GPP), Dubai’s center for photography and a c...
Oct 15, 2021•30 min•Ep. 128
In this Matbakh event, we talked to Omar Sartawi about his creations and subtle blend of flavors from his travels to Europe and the Arab Gulf with his heritage and Jordanian roots. Omar’s popular consecration came in 2017, when he took the local food scene by storm with the launch of Jameed Chocolate, acclaimed as “a great twist on the symbol of the Jordanian cuisine”. Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna , afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/ta...
Oct 13, 2021•27 min•Ep. 127
In this Outline event, we talked to Lara Atallah about her latest project, The Sun That Stood Still. The project is an artist book that examines a shifting relationship to a shifting landscape. The book is about Lara’s grandmother, but also about loss, the Mediterranean, and living in a perpetual state of uprootedness while paradoxically finding grounding by the sea. Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna , afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tare...
Oct 12, 2021•27 min•Ep. 126
In this event, we talked to artists Mohamed Elshahed and Heba Y. Amin about the future of decolonization. Tasmeem Doha 2022: Radical Futures is an inclusive and multi-faceted view of the future, one that not only speculates on technological advancements—but on future threats and changes whether environmental, geographical, cultural, or social. Now more than ever, we must ask pertinent questions, raise critical dialogues, and respond with clarity. Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna , afikra Ed...
Oct 08, 2021•34 min•Ep. 125
In this Outline event, we talked to Andrea Assaf about her latest project, 'Eleven Reflections on September.' The project explores Arab American experience, wars on and of terror, and “the constant, quiet rain of death amidst beauty” that each autumn brings in a post-9/11 world. Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna , afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Outline: Outline is a process-focused conversation that looks at guests’ i...
Oct 06, 2021•30 min•Ep. 124
In this conversation, we talked to Jannis Stürtz about his record label “Habibi Funk”. Based in Berlin, Habibi Funk is dedicated to music from the Arabic-speaking world and aims to re-release a style of music that historically never existed as a musical genre. Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna , afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About the afikra Conversations: Our long-form interview series features academics, arts, and media...
Oct 03, 2021•30 min•Ep. 123
In this Outline event, we talked to associate director of NYUAD Research Public Outreach Nouf Al Hamly and research public engagement specialist Rawdha Al Mansoori about their latest project, Citizen Research at NYU Abu Dhabi. The project, inspired by the global movement of Citizen Science and driven by the mutual benefit that can exist when professional researchers and members of the public work alongside one another, was developed to engage members of the public in NYUAD research. Created &...
Oct 01, 2021•29 min•Ep. 122
In this conversation, we talked to award-winning correspondent and columnist Nora Boustany about her career in covering Middle East and human rights issues. Nora had received George Polk Award, Society of Professional Journalists Sigma Delta Chi Award, and Bronze Medal for foreign correspondence for covering the Lebanese war, struggles in Gaza, and the plight of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna , afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani ht...
Sep 30, 2021•32 min•Ep. 121
In this conversation, we talked to Iraqi Kurdish filmmaker Philip Jamal Rachid about his latest film: “It Ain't Where You From”. The film has assembled the primary talent of the burgeoning, young Gulf Hip Hop scene in a first-time collaboration with some of its key figures. Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna , afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About the afikra Conversations: Our long-form interview series features academics, ar...
Sep 27, 2021•30 min•Ep. 120
We talked to Amani Hassan (Program Director at Arab British Centre) and Rabih El Khoury (SAFAR) on the 2021 edition of SAFAR curated around the theme of Generational Encounters in Arab Cinema as part of the Shubbak Festival x afikra Roundtable series. This collaboration between Shubbak and SAFAR will be showcasing contemporary and classic films with emergent youth, familial disparities, and societal tensions at their center. Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna , afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman ...
Jun 25, 2021•57 min•Ep. 119
We talked to Paul Salem, President of The Middle East Institute, on the work of the Middle East Institute including his career working in economic, social, and foreign policy studies. Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna , afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About the afikra Conversations: Our long-form interview series features academics, arts, and media experts who are helping document and/or shape the history and culture of the...
Jun 22, 2021•56 min•Ep. 118
We talked to Yasser Munif, Associate Professor of Sociology, on micro-politics in the Syrian revolution and his book "The Syrian Revolution: Between the Politics of Life and the Geopolitics of Death" (2020). Created by Mikey Muhanna , afikra Hosted by Malek Rasamny, Researcher & Filmmaker. Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About the afikra Conversations: Our long-form interview series features academics, arts, and media experts who a...
Jun 16, 2021•55 min•Ep. 117
In this conversation we talked to poet Hayan Charara on his award-winning poetry, children's books, and writing his books: "Something Sinister", "The Sadness of Others", "The Alchemist’s Diary" and his children’s book "The Three Lucys". Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About the afikra Conversations: Our long-form interview series features academics, arts, and media experts who are helping document and/or shape the history and culture ...
Jun 14, 2021•56 min•Ep. 116
