12th Annual Symposium: Stories of the Middle East

This year’s MENA Studies Symposium explores storytelling and the rich oral and written narratives of the MENA region. This student-led event brings together scholars, activists, workshop leaders, and others to examine the unique opportunities storytelling has presented historically and today. Examining the challenges journalists, artists, poets, scholars, and others face in telling the stories of the Middle East, this year’s symposium delves into the history, politics, and modern context of storytelling and other forms of narrative in the MENA Region. Guiding questions include:

• What challenges do journalists, academics, and artists face when trying to tell stories about the MENA region?
• What role do Arabic and other regional languages play in the history of storytelling and representation in the MENA region, and how has this influenced arts like poetry?
• How can we effectively convey the stories of people from the MENA region in an accessible variety of scholarly and other creative forms?
• What culturally distinctive forms of storytellers, storytelling, and self-representation are found in the MENA region?

Through panels, discussions, and interactive sessions, we aim to foster a deeper understanding of the rich and diverse narratives coming from the Middle East and North Africa. Please join us for the opportunity to be a part of the conversation and help our world better comprehend the narratives of the MENA region.