Tarek El-ArissLeaks, Hacks, and Scandals: Arab Culture in the Digital Age

Emerging from Tarek El-Ariss’ recently published book, Leaks, Hacks, and Scandals: Arab Culture in the Digital Age (Princeton University Press, 2019), this talk explores the way modes of confrontation, circulation, and exhibitionism shape and engender knowledge production and critiques of power in the digital age. Focusing on a new generation of authors, leakers, and hackers from the Arab world and beyond, Tarek El-Ariss reveals a genealogy of digital activism and writing genres by connecting Wikileaks to The Arabian Nights, Twitter to mystical revelation, and cyberattacks to pre-Islamic tribal raids.

Organized by Emily Drumsta, assistant professor of comparative literature.

Book signing to follow lecture.

About the Author

Tarek El-Ariss is associate professor of Middle Eastern studies at Dartmouth College. His books include Trials of Arab Modernity: Literary Affects and the New Political and The Arab Renaissance: A Bilingual Anthology of the Nahda.