Autobiography and the Construction of Identity and Community in the Middle East

Ranging from the early modern period to the present day, this edited collection uses biography as a window into the history of the Arab Islamic Middle East. The contributors rediscover the lives of individuals previously consigned to the margins of history, including the 18th century Cairene concubine wife, and widow, Shawikar Qadin and the 20th century Palestinian activist Kulthum Auda. The book also draws on the biographical tradition of Arab historical writing, including biographical dictionaries, for an understanding of the region's social and cultural history. Interdisciplinary in scope, this volume brings to light individual lives for an understanding of Middle Eastern history.