Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies Research Seminar Series: Hana Sleiman In brief Date - 11 March 2024 Guest speaker - Dr Hana Sleiman (School of History, Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh) Title - The Lives of Paper: Homes, Archives, and the Production of History in Twentieth Century Beirut Format - Talk, Q&A and reception Email for joining details About the event How did the scraps of paper produced in Beirut’s quotidian life turn into historical sources for the writing (and omission) of its twentieth-century history? This seminar follows the life of paper in Beirut in its transformation into archival sources for the writing of history. It aims to chart a history of the city’s historiographic ecosystem in the twentieth century that de-centres the role of the historian. In doing so, it aims to highlight the gendered nature of the labour involved in record keeping and history writing. About the speaker Dr Hana Sleiman is a historian of the modern Middle East whose research focuses on the history of historiography in the Levant, with a focus on archive building and record keeping in the twentieth century. Before joining the University of Edinburgh, she was an Early Career Research Fellow in History at Murray Edwards College, University of Cambridge (2020-2022). About the seminar series This seminar series critically employs the concept of decoloniality, a term coined by sociologist Anibal Quijano. By questioning the boundaries of knowledge production, agency and representation more specifically within the curriculum in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, the series will bring together a diverse range of perspectives on historical and contemporary topics, interrogating some unexamined framings that shape our understanding of the Middle East. Seminars will be interdisciplinary, covering diverse themes, such as: Arabic teaching pedagogy; archiving and the production of history during and after the British Mandate in Scotland, Lebanon, Palestine and Somalia; Saudi Arabia’s progressive narratives; the role of libraries and librarians in the UK. The series also explores new avenues in the study of the region, reflecting on its positionality within Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies and by looking into consolidating interdisciplinarity and dialogue with other fields. How to join Events are free and everyone is welcome. No booking is required. If you wish to join online, you can email a colleague in IMES for joining details. All talks are followed by a reception. Email for joining details Are you interested in studying with us? We are the only university in Scotland to offer courses in the Muslim world's three main languages, placing Arabic, Persian and Turkish in the context of history, literature, culture, religion and politics, past and present. Choose from a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, including PhD programmes. Find out more about Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at Edinburgh Mar 11 2024 17.00 - 18.30 Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies Research Seminar Series: Hana Sleiman Join us on campus for a seminar by Dr Hana Sleiman (School of History, Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh) on transforming innocuous scraps of paper from twentieth-century Beirut into historical sources. Project Room 1.06 50 George Square Edinburgh EH8 9LH Find the venue: 50 George Square Email for joining details
Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies Research Seminar Series: Hana Sleiman In brief Date - 11 March 2024 Guest speaker - Dr Hana Sleiman (School of History, Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh) Title - The Lives of Paper: Homes, Archives, and the Production of History in Twentieth Century Beirut Format - Talk, Q&A and reception Email for joining details About the event How did the scraps of paper produced in Beirut’s quotidian life turn into historical sources for the writing (and omission) of its twentieth-century history? This seminar follows the life of paper in Beirut in its transformation into archival sources for the writing of history. It aims to chart a history of the city’s historiographic ecosystem in the twentieth century that de-centres the role of the historian. In doing so, it aims to highlight the gendered nature of the labour involved in record keeping and history writing. About the speaker Dr Hana Sleiman is a historian of the modern Middle East whose research focuses on the history of historiography in the Levant, with a focus on archive building and record keeping in the twentieth century. Before joining the University of Edinburgh, she was an Early Career Research Fellow in History at Murray Edwards College, University of Cambridge (2020-2022). About the seminar series This seminar series critically employs the concept of decoloniality, a term coined by sociologist Anibal Quijano. By questioning the boundaries of knowledge production, agency and representation more specifically within the curriculum in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, the series will bring together a diverse range of perspectives on historical and contemporary topics, interrogating some unexamined framings that shape our understanding of the Middle East. Seminars will be interdisciplinary, covering diverse themes, such as: Arabic teaching pedagogy; archiving and the production of history during and after the British Mandate in Scotland, Lebanon, Palestine and Somalia; Saudi Arabia’s progressive narratives; the role of libraries and librarians in the UK. The series also explores new avenues in the study of the region, reflecting on its positionality within Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies and by looking into consolidating interdisciplinarity and dialogue with other fields. How to join Events are free and everyone is welcome. No booking is required. If you wish to join online, you can email a colleague in IMES for joining details. All talks are followed by a reception. Email for joining details Are you interested in studying with us? We are the only university in Scotland to offer courses in the Muslim world's three main languages, placing Arabic, Persian and Turkish in the context of history, literature, culture, religion and politics, past and present. Choose from a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, including PhD programmes. Find out more about Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at Edinburgh Mar 11 2024 17.00 - 18.30 Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies Research Seminar Series: Hana Sleiman Join us on campus for a seminar by Dr Hana Sleiman (School of History, Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh) on transforming innocuous scraps of paper from twentieth-century Beirut into historical sources. Project Room 1.06 50 George Square Edinburgh EH8 9LH Find the venue: 50 George Square Email for joining details
Mar 11 2024 17.00 - 18.30 Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies Research Seminar Series: Hana Sleiman Join us on campus for a seminar by Dr Hana Sleiman (School of History, Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh) on transforming innocuous scraps of paper from twentieth-century Beirut into historical sources.
