The Revolution of 1919 is a key moment in modern Egyptian history. Pent up anger exploded after World War One, and Egyptians rose up demanding independence and an end to British occupation. But while 1919 is commonly seen to have achieved at best only partial success, it is revered as the moment when Egyptian national consciousness and unity reached their zenith. The prevailing narrative about 1919 is one where Egyptians from all walks of life (urban, rural, Muslim, Copt, men and women), are united in their struggle against the British and led by Zaghloul’s Al Wafd party. But how did this narrative develop and change over the years? This is the question that Dina Heshmat our guest in today’s episode of Middle East Talks, attempts to address in her book “Egypt 1919: The Revolution in Literature and Film”.

Guest: Dina Heshmat, Associate Professor of Modern and Contemporary Arabic Literature at the Sheikh Hassan Abbas Sharbatly Department of Arab and Islamic Civilizations, American University in Cairo

Interviewer: Khaled Ezzelarab, Associate Professor of Practice, Journalism and Mass Communication Department, and Director of the Middle East Studies Program, American University in Cairo

Researcher: Benjamin Fultz

Book: Heshmat, Dina. Egypt 1919: The Revolution in Literature and Film. 1st ed. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2020;2022;. doi:10.1515/9781474458382

Intro Music: Festival of Eid Joy by Adiiswanto, licensed via Pixabay Music

This podcast was produced with the help of Nourhan Amer, Nouran Elian, and Judi Yassin

Get in touch via email [email protected]

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this podcast series are those of participants and do not reflect the opinions of The American University in Cairo. Copyright is held by the appropriate AUC school, office or department unless otherwise stated. Requests for permission to quote or use any content should be addressed to the appropriate AUC school, office or department directly.