Explores blogs as a new form of literature emerging in Egypt during the rise of political protests

Six years before the Egyptian revolution of January 2011, many young Egyptians had resorted to blogging as a means of self-expression and literary creativity. This resulted in the emergence of a new literary genre: the autofictional blog. Such blogs are explored here as forms of digital literature, combining literary analysis and interviews with the authors.

The blogs analysed give readers a glimpse into the daily lives, feelings and aspirations of the Egyptian youth who have pushed the country towards a cultural and political revolution. The narratives are also indicative of significant aesthetic and political developments taking place in Arabic literature and culture.

Key Features

• A pioneering study of Arabic digital literature
• Investigates blogs as the latest form of autobiographical writing in Arabic literature
• Sets out an innovative methodology for studying literary texts distributed on social media, opening new avenues for research
• Based on the study of forty blogs written from Egypt, six of which are analysed as detailed case studies