The afikra Podcast

In this conversation, we are talking to Rima Rantisi on her writing and being the founding editor of Rusted Radishes: Beirut Literary and Art Journal, which publishes artists and writers from Lebanon, its diaspora, and the region and is currently in its eighth circulation. Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra; https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/‎  Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek...

We discussed Yacine Boulares' label Shames Records, and the Habibi festival he founded in New York. We also talked about his music, his work with countless musical legends, and his band AJOYO, a mystic brew of African tradition, jazz, and soul. Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra;   https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/‎  Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagr...

Mariam C. Said serves as the Vice-President of the Barenboim-Said Foundation (USA) and is a driving force behind West-Eastern Divan Orchestra (WEDO). We talked to Mariam about her work with the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra (WEDO) and Barenboim-Said Foundation.  Created & Hosted  by Mikey Muhanna, afikra;   https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/‎  Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani h...

Alex Dika Seggerman is an Assistant Professor of Islamic Art History at Rutgers University-Newark. Her scholarship investigates the intersection of Islam and modernism in art history. In this conversation, we are discussing Dr. Seggerman's book  "Modernism on the Nile: Art in Egypt Between the Islamic and the Contemporary."  Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra; https://www.instagram.com/mike...

We enjoyed discussing with Alya her bestselling non-fiction book The Greater Freedom: Life as a Middle Eastern Woman Outside the Stereotypes and the recently launched newsletter "The Greater Conversation", centering female Middle Eastern stories with an aim to de-stigmatize through honest storytelling. Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra, https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/‎  Edited by: Ramz...

Salwa Mikdadi is an Associate Professor in the Practice of Art History specializing in the history of modern and contemporary art of the Arab world. Having held various positions promoting the Art of the Arab world, we talked to Salwa Mikdadi about her career from curating several art exhibitions around the world to Directing the Arab Center for the Study of Art, NYU Abu Dhabi. Created & Hosted by...

Alsarah is a singer, songwriter, and bandleader of Alasarah & the Nubatones. We talked to Alsarah about her career and style along with her various musical ventures, collaborations, and releases.  Created by: Mikey Muhanna, afikra;   https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/‎  Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About the afikra conversation serie...

We talked to Taoufik Ben Amor about Arabic language and linguistics, language and identity, Arab music, and music in Sufism. This event was hosted in collaboration with Columbia Global Centers | Tunis. Created by: Mikey Muhanna, afikra  Hosted by: Mikey:  https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/‎  & Youssef Cherif  (Columbia Global Centers | Tunis).  Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani...

Our conversation with Professor Nasser was all about his expertise in the field of architecture, directing the MIT Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at MIT, and his interests and publications on Islamic architecture, urban history, Arab history, contemporary Arab art, heritage studies, and post-colonial criticism. Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra;    https://www.instagram.com/mike...

We interviewed Karl on his various publications and works as an architect, satirist, blogger, and commentator on the Middle East. Karl co-authored "Manifesto: Towards a New Humanism in Architecture" and authored "And Then God Created the Middle East and Said ‘Let There Be Breaking News’" and "Style: In defence of Islamic Architecture." You can catch his tweets at @karlremarks. Created & Hosted by:...

We talked to the writer behind the award-winning books from the award-winning novels, “In the Country of Men” and “Anatomy of a Disappearance”, to his Pulitzer Prize recipient memoir, “The Return”, and his latest book " A Month in Siena".   This event was hosted in collaboration with Columbia Global Centers | Tunis. Created & Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna , afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by...

We will be discussing Thomas Simsarian Dolan's research about Middle Eastern diaspora and race. We will also talk to him about his work as a visiting researcher at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, and about the performances he helped create and produce in Madison Square Garden, Lincoln Center, and many others. Created by: Mikey Muhanna, afikra;    https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/‎  Edit...

We will be discussing Kristyan Sarkis' work as a graphic and type designer. We will talk about the type foundry he co-founded (TPTQ Arabic), his work as the co-founder and director of Arabic Type Design Beirut, and the workshops and courses he gives. Created & hosted by: Mikey Muhanna, afikra; https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/‎  Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.in...

We discussed Anneka Lenssen's expertise in modern painting and contemporary visual practices. We also talked about her newest book project "Beautiful Agitation" which is a study of avant-garde painting and the making of Syria as a contested territory between 1920 and 1970. Created & Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna , afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani About the afikra conversation...

Laila talks about Oud and its tradition from its definition, to its types, and its traditional and economical value.  Note: Laila is not an expert on this subject but is sharing information in the hopes of spurring interest in the subject.  Hosted by: Mikey:  https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/‎  Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About afi...

We talked about Ghenwa Hayek's work on the entangled relationships between literary and cultural production, space and place, and identity formation in the modern Arab Middle East, with a specific focus on Lebanon. We also discussed her book "Beirut, Imagining the City: Space and Place in Lebanese Literature", and her research projects. Created & hosted by: Mikey Muhanna, afikra; https://www.insta...

We had a conversation with Pascal Zoghbi about his design work and his collection of contemporary Arabic and multilingual typefaces alongside corporate identities and design projects. We also talked about his Arabic Type Design and Typography firm in Beirut - 29Letters.  Created & Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna , afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani About the afikra conversation s...

We talked to eL Seed about his work which largely revolves around the practice of 'calligraffiti', the combination of Arabic calligraphy and graffiti. Additionally, we discussed his many projects, from "Mirage" in Saudi Arabia to "The Journey" in Lebanon and  many more all over the world. Created & hosted by: Mikey Muhanna, afikra; https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/‎  Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Them...

We discussed Nisa's research which explores the relationships between cultural politics and the development of art institutions, specifically in Palestine and in Turkey.  Created & Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna , afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani About the afikra conversation series: Our long-form interview series, hosted on Zoom, featuring academics and arts ‎and media expert...

We discussed Emna's work as a Tunisian online and human rights activist & Carthagina (which she co-founded), an initiative designed to create interest in Tunisia's cultural heritage at home and abroad. Created & Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna , afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani About the afikra conversation series: Our long-form interview series, hosted on Zoom, featuring acade...

Ali, Mirna, Deema, and Sara talked about "Architecture for the Poor", Italian Renaissance & Baghdad, black and white Egyptian movies, and the Berlin-Baghdad Railway. Hosted by:   Mikey Muhanna , afikra  Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani Once a month we hold an afikra Mezze event featuring four afikra FWDs, short 5-10 presentations sharing an ‎interesting article, video, book, po...

We talked to Khalid Lyamlahy about his work as a Francophone North African literature teacher at the University of Chicago. We also discussed his research about the works of contemporary Moroccan Francophone writers and the concepts of nostalgia and revolt. Created & Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna , afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani About the afikra conversation series: Our lon...

We talked to Arij Mikati about creating and supporting opportunities that advance storytelling and cultural change work as the managing director at Pillars Fund. Created & Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna , afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani About the afikra conversation series: Our long-form interview series, hosted on Zoom, featuring academics and arts ‎and media experts who are...

We had a conversation with Yazan Khalili about his  work as an architect, visual artist, and cultural activist, in addition to his work with Radio Alhara. Created & Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna , afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani About the afikra conversation series: Our long-form interview series, hosted on Zoom, featuring academics and arts ‎and media experts who are helpin...

We had a conversation with Jess Ghannam about his work as a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Global Health Sciences in the School of Medicine at UCSF. We also discussed  his research on the consequences of war on displaced communities. Created & Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna , afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani About the afikra conversation series: Our long-form interview s...