In the first episode of this new Ehkili season, we sit down with Zahra Hankir to discuss her book "Eyeliner: A Cultural History", the cultural significance of eyeliner, and the process of putting together an intersectional and cross-cultural study of its history. Zahra highlights eyeliner’s role as a cultural artifact, its use for protective, aesthetic and religious purposes, and how her book tries to decolonize the misunderstandings of the Arab world by centering its cultures and histories. We also touch on cultural preservation and erasure, particularly in the context of what is happening in Palestine.

This episode was recorded on March 27th, 2024.

0:00 Introduction
1:41 Writing a Book About Eyeliner
4:55 A Timeline: Kohl in the Arab World
18:00 Exploring Eyeliner In Different Locations
22:17 Amy Winehouse & Shereen
26:55 Class Distinction & Cultural Significance
34:56 Icons of Eyeliners & Eyeliner Tools
39:56 Modern Versions of Eyeliner
42:33 Culture Wars Over Eyeliner & Coffee
47:55 Eyeliner in Palestine
53:54 Book Recommendations

Zahra Hankir is a Lebanese-British journalist, editor and author. She was awarded a Jack R. Howard Fellowship to attend the Columbia Journalism School and holds degrees in politics and Middle Eastern studies. Her first book "Our Women on the Ground" was a bestseller and won the Susan Koppelman award for best anthology in feminist studies. This second book "Eyeliner: A Cultural History" was a New York Times Book Review Editors’ pick and had starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal.

Connect with Zahra 👉   / zahrahankir  

Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊 https://spoti.fi/47I59ns

Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna 👉   / mikey_mu  

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ABOUT AFIKRA
afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.
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