Revolutionary Reading

No sooner had former President Hosni Mubarak stepped down, then the country was flooded with music, art exhibitions, programs, websites and books commemorating the 18-day uprising that forced the president from power. A year later, the country is still seemingly gripped with ‘revolution fever,’ with media still honed in on the groundbreaking events of the January 25 Revolution. Egypt Today brings you a small taste of books and websites that documented the people’s uprising against the 30-year Mubarak reign. BOOKS  Message from Tahrir: Signs from Egypt’s Revolution Edited by Karima Khalil This photo collection immortalizes the banners, signs and posters held by the many protesters in Tahrir Square. With over 150 pages of photographs by 36 professional and amateur photographers who participated in the protests, the book highlights the ubiquitous Egyptian humor even in times of crisis. Egyptian Freedom Story  By Mohamed Fadel Fahmy and Samy Al Tobgy  Collecting the photographic works of what editor and CNN producer/journalist Mohamed Fadel Fahmy calls the “real heros” of the revolution, the editors of this coffee table book brought together the work of almost 30 Egyptian photographers on the front lines of the events from from January 25 until the March 19 March referendum. Organized chronologically, the chapters begin with a two-page introduction explaining the more intricate details of the events unfolding in the pictures that follow. Fahmy says the book is an unbiased representation of the reality that happened on the ground. “The explosive photos speak for themselves. I have always wanted to use the phrase 'a picture is worth a thousand words.' In this case, there are over 200 photos,” he says. Tweets from Tahrir  Edited by Nadia Idle and Alex Nunns  Yes, the January 25 Revolution was called the Facebook Revolution, but it was Twitter that provided people on the ground with a speedy means of communication and those outside the square with up-to-the-minute reports about Tahrir happenings. To document this, London-based activists Nadia Idle and Alex Nunns archived tweets sent out during the 18 days of unrest and strung them together in the form of this book with a foreword by novelist Ahdaf Soueif. Readers are transported to the days of the uprising through Twitter users' tweet bank, and in 140 characters no less. The Struggle for Egypt From Nasser to Tahrir Square  by  Steven A. Cook  Hasib J. Sabbagh senior fellow for Middle Eastern Studies Steven A. Cook said the revolution was, “if not predictable, inevitable,” in this historical analysis of the reasons behind the uprising. The author chronicles the historical backdrop of the revolution, arguing that Egyptians revolted against a regime that was inherited from former presidents Anwar El Sadat and Gamal Abdel Nasser. Liberation Square: Inside the Egyptian Revolution and the Rebirth of a Nation   by Ashraf Khalil Egyptian-American journalist Ashraf Khalil recounts the events of the January uprising and assesses the years of growing tensions that led to it. Published in January 2012, this is one of the latest additions to the January 25 Revolution bibliography. L’Egypte de Tahrir: Anatomie d’une revolution  by Tangi Salaun and Claude Guibal  For French readers, Claude Guibal, winner of the Diplomatic Press Award of 2011 for her coverage of events in Tahrir, and Tangi Salaun analyze the revolution as well as factors about the Egyptian political scene that led to the turmoil. Pre-revolution Egypt is the focus here, with the authors piecing together the puzzle that culminated the popular uprising. Not sure where to look?  Browse the shelves at any of the nation’s major bookstores, including the AUC Press Bookstore, Alef, Volume 1, Diwan, Virgin Megastores, Anglo Egyptian bookstore, Bookspot, Kutob Khan or search online at Souq.com. WEBSITES 1000 Memories The Egypt Remembers website compiles a list of names and pictures of those who lost lives during the January uprising. The names link to a page where memories of the victims can be shared along with pictures, videos and short biographies. www.1000memories.com/egypt I Was in Tahrir Immortalize yourself in Tahrir with the I Was in Tahrir website. It lets you tag yourself in a large picture of a packed Tahrir Square. Your tag appears as a small Egyptian flag where you can upload your picture, name and a message. The song “Sout El Horreya” (Sound of Freedom) by Hany Adel and Amir Eid appropriately plays in the background. www.iwasintahrir.com Caring In Egypt Caring in Egypt is a website with information about the initiatives that cropped up to help those injured during the revolution. Although the page was last updated in April, you can still contact the creators of the website and get more information on how you can help. www.caring.inegypt.org I Am Jan 25 The I Am Jan 25 website features images and videos of the revolution collected from amateur and professional sources and news media. www.iamjan25.com Tahrir Documents Tahrir Documents contains scores of original reports from activists in Tahrir Square during the revolution. Their collection of scanned original documents and translated content (Arabic to English) is vast and updated constantly with sections in politics, religion and culture. www.tahrirdocuments.org 18 Days In Egypt To make your own mark, contribute to this ‘crowd sourced’ documentary project by uploading your revolution experiences via words, pictures or video. The project accepts not just documentation from the 18 days of protests, but from seminal events in the months following. www.18daysinegypt.com