Andrew Simon
@simongandrew.bsky.social
Historian of media, pop culture, and the Middle East; senior lecturer @dartmouth; author of "Media of the Masses: Cassette Culture in Modern Egypt"; founder of “Ideas to Ink”; andrewgsimon.com
Pinned
The Making and Mourning of Ahmad Adawiya, a Musical Legend
The singer was banned from the airwaves, but the humble cassette allowed him to circumvent the rules and sell directly to his audience
newlinesmag.com
I never had the chance to meet Ahmad Adawiya, but I felt like I lost a friend when the artist recently passed. In this essay, I reflect on what he meant to me and many others. I hope it serves as a small testament to his immense impact and the obstacles he overcame. newlinesmag.com/essays/the-m...
The Ziad Fahmy School of Egypt Studies. What a joy reconnecting with everyone at MESA.
November 25, 2025 at 1:48 PM
The Ziad Fahmy School of Egypt Studies. What a joy reconnecting with everyone at MESA.
An award winning dissertation I’m looking forward to reading.
November 25, 2025 at 1:44 PM
An award winning dissertation I’m looking forward to reading.
When my book first appeared at MESA 3 years ago, it was stolen within hours of the exhibit opening. Something I took as the highest compliment! To whoever reserved “Media of the Masses” at this year’s meeting, I really hope you enjoy it!
November 25, 2025 at 1:11 PM
When my book first appeared at MESA 3 years ago, it was stolen within hours of the exhibit opening. Something I took as the highest compliment! To whoever reserved “Media of the Masses” at this year’s meeting, I really hope you enjoy it!
Our roundtable on popular culture in Egypt was standing room only at the annual meeting for the Middle East Studies Association!
November 24, 2025 at 11:48 AM
Our roundtable on popular culture in Egypt was standing room only at the annual meeting for the Middle East Studies Association!
I'm excited to share this new essay, which offers a glimpse into my current book project: a biography of Shaykh Imam. I hope this piece will appear in Arabic soon and if anyone has a story to tell about Imam, please reach out. I would love to hear it. 🎶 doi.org/10.1017/S002...
November 22, 2025 at 4:07 AM
I'm excited to share this new essay, which offers a glimpse into my current book project: a biography of Shaykh Imam. I hope this piece will appear in Arabic soon and if anyone has a story to tell about Imam, please reach out. I would love to hear it. 🎶 doi.org/10.1017/S002...
Books take time to write. If you can’t attend the Middle East Studies Association’s annual meeting this weekend in DC and would like a photograph of your book at the conference exhibit, please let me know. I’d be more than happy to help celebrate your hard work! #MESA2025
November 21, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Books take time to write. If you can’t attend the Middle East Studies Association’s annual meeting this weekend in DC and would like a photograph of your book at the conference exhibit, please let me know. I’d be more than happy to help celebrate your hard work! #MESA2025
Reposted by Andrew Simon
Omar El Akkad has won the National Book Award. During his remarks, he said, "It’s difficult to think in celebratory terms when I spent two years seeing what shrapnel does to a child’s body. It is difficult to think in celebratory terms when I know that my tax money is doing this."
November 20, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Omar El Akkad has won the National Book Award. During his remarks, he said, "It’s difficult to think in celebratory terms when I spent two years seeing what shrapnel does to a child’s body. It is difficult to think in celebratory terms when I know that my tax money is doing this."
An important article to read: www.chronicle.com/article/a-st...
A State Legislature Wants a University’s Middle East Studies Syllabi. Faculty Don’t Know Why.
The University of Arkansas flagship received a request from a legislative office last week for course materials and information about scholarships, emails show.
www.chronicle.com
November 20, 2025 at 7:13 PM
An important article to read: www.chronicle.com/article/a-st...
Omar El Akkad has won the National Book Award. During his remarks, he said, "It’s difficult to think in celebratory terms when I spent two years seeing what shrapnel does to a child’s body. It is difficult to think in celebratory terms when I know that my tax money is doing this."
November 20, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Omar El Akkad has won the National Book Award. During his remarks, he said, "It’s difficult to think in celebratory terms when I spent two years seeing what shrapnel does to a child’s body. It is difficult to think in celebratory terms when I know that my tax money is doing this."
Feeling inspired after a tremendous two days @nuqatar.bsky.social with @iasnuq.bsky.social, where we workshopped an edited volume in the making on media in Middle East history and participated in a "show-and-tell" surrounding a cultural production of our choosing. I introduced a Shaykh Imam tape. 🎶
November 20, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Feeling inspired after a tremendous two days @nuqatar.bsky.social with @iasnuq.bsky.social, where we workshopped an edited volume in the making on media in Middle East history and participated in a "show-and-tell" surrounding a cultural production of our choosing. I introduced a Shaykh Imam tape. 🎶
Batman is now being sold in parts at Cairo’s Friday Market.
November 20, 2025 at 4:05 AM
Batman is now being sold in parts at Cairo’s Friday Market.
Superman squares off against Muhammad Ali on the cover of this 1978 comic. By the end of the issue, they end up joining forces, with Ali declaring, “We are the greatest.”
November 19, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Superman squares off against Muhammad Ali on the cover of this 1978 comic. By the end of the issue, they end up joining forces, with Ali declaring, “We are the greatest.”
“Media of the Masses” has made it to Kuwait! Seeing this book travel across the Arab world is truly surreal.
November 18, 2025 at 9:34 PM
“Media of the Masses” has made it to Kuwait! Seeing this book travel across the Arab world is truly surreal.
Umm Kulthum at Souq Waqif in Doha. I asked about Ahmad Adawiya, but, unfortunately, he did not have a statue.
November 18, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Umm Kulthum at Souq Waqif in Doha. I asked about Ahmad Adawiya, but, unfortunately, he did not have a statue.
Loved seeing this legend at the Qatar Olympic & Sports Museum.
November 17, 2025 at 11:07 PM
Loved seeing this legend at the Qatar Olympic & Sports Museum.
Anyone here attending MESA? I’ll be presenting as part of the “Not Just Fun and Games” Sunday roundtable on the power and politics of popular culture in Egypt. I’d love to see you there or elsewhere at the conference!
November 17, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Anyone here attending MESA? I’ll be presenting as part of the “Not Just Fun and Games” Sunday roundtable on the power and politics of popular culture in Egypt. I’d love to see you there or elsewhere at the conference!
Reposted by Andrew Simon
I’m so excited to participate in this show-and-tell conversation concerning media in Middle East history at Northwestern University in Qatar this weekend! It was hard to select only a few cassettes to bring along with me, but Shaykh Imam, Ahmad Adawiya, and Shaykh Antar made the cut for my carry on.
November 12, 2025 at 3:59 AM
I’m so excited to participate in this show-and-tell conversation concerning media in Middle East history at Northwestern University in Qatar this weekend! It was hard to select only a few cassettes to bring along with me, but Shaykh Imam, Ahmad Adawiya, and Shaykh Antar made the cut for my carry on.
I’m so excited to participate in this show-and-tell conversation concerning media in Middle East history at Northwestern University in Qatar this weekend! It was hard to select only a few cassettes to bring along with me, but Shaykh Imam, Ahmad Adawiya, and Shaykh Antar made the cut for my carry on.
November 12, 2025 at 3:59 AM
I’m so excited to participate in this show-and-tell conversation concerning media in Middle East history at Northwestern University in Qatar this weekend! It was hard to select only a few cassettes to bring along with me, but Shaykh Imam, Ahmad Adawiya, and Shaykh Antar made the cut for my carry on.
A new article I can’t wait to read!
November 10, 2025 at 4:36 PM
A new article I can’t wait to read!
Reviews in academic journals are great, but to be read by writers across the Arab world is truly a gift. www.alaraby.co.uk/culture/%D8%...
"ثقافة الكاسيت في مصر".. كيف تأثر الإعلام والسوق والمزاج العام
يرصد الكتاب، الذي صدر حديثاً، كيف تمكّنت تقنية جديدة من التسلل إلى أعماق المجتمع المصري، مخترقة الطبقات كافة، لتصنع تاريخها الخاص، ومستخدمة ملايين البشر.
www.alaraby.co.uk
November 5, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Reviews in academic journals are great, but to be read by writers across the Arab world is truly a gift. www.alaraby.co.uk/culture/%D8%...
Cairo friends, this book discussion looks brilliant!
November 4, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Cairo friends, this book discussion looks brilliant!
Well this post made my day : )
November 2, 2025 at 5:25 AM
Well this post made my day : )
One of the many times I wish I could travel with the Arabic edition of “Media of the Masses,” which is now available in Algeria.
November 1, 2025 at 12:57 PM
One of the many times I wish I could travel with the Arabic edition of “Media of the Masses,” which is now available in Algeria.
Reposted by Andrew Simon
