Five Mondays: January 23, February 6 and 20, March 6 and 27 from 1 to 3 p.m. ET Online
Welcome to another series in attempting to better understand the Middle East and North Africa yet, this time we are traveling south to north with the Nile River. We will go on an expedition (no need for passport, inoculations or tents for camping or visas) from the origins of Nile to the Mediterranean Sea. We will read history books, journalists’ accounts and novelists describe the river and the inhabitants along its banks. Join us on this journey along the Nile River. According to the National Geographic: “The Nile River flows from south to north through eastern Africa. It begins in the rivers that flow into Lake Victoria (located in modern-day Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya), and empties into the Mediterranean Sea more than 6,600 kilometers (4,100 miles) to the north, making it one of the longest rivers in the world. The Nile River was critical to the development of ancient Egypt. In addition to Egypt, the Nile runs through or along the border of 10 other African countries, namely, Burundi, Tanzania, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, and South Sudan. Its three main tributaries are the White Nile, the Blue Nile, and the Atbara.”
Five Mondays: January 23, February 6 and 20, March 6 and 27 from 1 to 3 p.m. ET Online
1. 23rd January 2023: River of the Gods – Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the search for the source of the Nile by Candice Millard (9780385543101)
2. 6th February: The Black Nile by Dan Morrison (9780143119371)
3. 20th February: God Dies by the Nile by Nawal al Saadawy (9781783605965) and The Drowning by Hammour Ziada (9781623719067)
4. 6th March: Adrift on the Nile by Naguib Mahfouz (9780385423335)
5. 27th March: Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie (9780063139848)
AND/OR
The Fugitives by Jamal Mahjoub (9781838850821)
Required Books:
River of the Gods – Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the search for the source of the Nile by Candice Millard (9780385543101)
The Black Nile by Dan Morrison (9780143119371)
God Dies by the Nile by Nawal al Saadawy (9781783605965)
The Drowning by Hammour Ziada (9781623719067)
Adrift on the Nile by Naguib Mahfouz (9780385423335)
Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie (9780063139848)
AND/OR
The Fugitives by Jamal Mahjoub (9781838850821)
Heba F. El-Shazli is an Egyptian-American and an avid lover and reader of literature from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. She is an associate professor of political science at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s Master’s Degree Program at the Center for Democracy and Civil Society. Heba teaches courses on governments and politics of the Middle East and North Africa, Islam and politics, international relations, and the role of civil society and social movements in democratization. She has a Ph.D. in Planning, Governance, and Globalization (PGG) with a specialization in Governance and International Affairs from Virginia Tech’s School of Public and International Affairs and a Master’s degree from Georgetown University. She was the Director of MENA programs at the Solidarity Center (2004-2011) and the Deputy MENA Regional Director at the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) from 2001 until 2004. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations (www.cfr.org)
REFUND POLICY: Please note that we can issue class refunds up until seven (7) days before the first class session.