Event Alert: "1919: Reconsiderations in Modern Egyptian Social History," 5-6 April | Full Programme

Mohammed Saad , Sunday 31 Mar 2019

The annual history seminar of the Department of Arab and Islamic Civilisations of the American University in Cairo will focus on the centenary of the 1919 Revolution

1919 Revolution
Drawing of 1919 Revolution (Picture: Courtesy of the Annual History Seminar)

The Department of Arab and Islamic Civilisations of the American University in Cairo will host an annual history seminar 5-6 April.

This year's seminar is entitled "1919: Reconsiderations in Modern Egyptian Social History." 

This choice of focus follows the centenary of the 1919 Revolution, in which the Egyptian people rose up against the British occupation.

The seminar will be held in Oriental Hall at the AUC's Tahrir Campus. The programme will include American historian Peter Gran, Egyptian former minister of culture and historian Emad Abu Ghazi, and Mohamed Sabri Al-Dali of Helwan University,

The seminar will open at 10:00 am on Friday, 5 April. The first speaker will be Emad Abu-Ghazi. His paper will be entitled "Five readings of the 1919 Revolution."

A mini book fair will accompany the seminar, at the Armenian Room on AUC's Tahrir Campus.

Full programme:

Friday, 5 April, 2019

10:00am

Registration and morning coffee

10.30 am-12.30pm

“Five readings of the 1919 Revolution” (in Arabic), Emad Abou Ghazi, Cairo University

“When the politician becomes a writer: Prince Umar Tussson and the competition over leadership of the 1919 Revolution” (in Arabic), Mohamed Sabri Al-Dali, Helwan University

“Symbolism and the rise of nationalism in Port Said post-1919” (in Arabic), Ahmed El-Gezy (Goethe Institute), Mohamed Yehia Elsayed (University of London)

12.30-2.00pm

Lunch break

2:00-3:00pm

“The 1919 Revolution in the literature of Naguib Mahfouz” (in Arabic), Hussein Hammouda, Cairo University.

“1919’s underprivileged revolution in two Egyptian novels” (in English), Dina Heshmat, American University in Cairo

3:00-3:15pm

Coffee break

3:15-4:45pm

“1919: A revolution in court dress” (in English), Amr Shalakany, American University in Cairo

“A revolt of Egypt’s youth: Students, school strikes, and the 1919 Revolution” (in English), Matthew Parnell, American University in Cairo

“Idolised narratives of 1919: Are they too good to be true?” (in English), Kareem Megahed, independent researcher

Saturday, 6 April, 2019

10:00am

Morning coffee

10.30-11:30am

“Coptic representation in the 1919 Revolution: The Church and lay leaders” (in Arabic), Magdi Guirguis, Kafr El-Sheikh University

“The role of the mobs, rabble and riff-raff in the 1919 Revolution” (in Arabic), Sayed Ashmawi, Cairo University

11.30-12.00pm

Coffee break

12:00-1.00pm

“Whose revolution? The peasant rebellion of 1918 and the Egyptian 'nationalist' revolution” (in English), Kyle Anderson, State University of New York at Old Westbury

“'Not worthy of belief’: Testimonies of rape in Egypt, 1919” (in English), Katharine Halls, Manchester University

1:00-2:00pm

Lunch break

2:00–3:00pm

Final session

“The Libyan and Egyptian anti-colonial struggle in 1919: The role of Abdurrahman Azzam and Hamad Al-Basil” (in English), Ali Abdullatif Ahmida, University of New England

“The evolution of American academic thought about the 1919 Revolution” (video presentation in English and live-streaming Q&A), Peter Gran, Temple University

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