Little Atoms Live: Tarek Shahin

Padraig Reidy interviews Egyptian cartoonist Tarek Shahin. This event was part of Shubbak Festival 2011.

http://alkhancomics.com/

This year has seen unprecedented moves for democracy across the Middle East. But what role has satire played in this? Can humour thrive under tyranny? And can dictators allow themselves to be laughed at? Is there such thing as “Arab comedy”?

Tarek Shahin is an Egyptian cartoonist. A vocal dissident in pre-revolution Egypt, Shahin is the author of the edgy comic strip Al Khan, which ran in The Daily News Egypt. The Al Khan comics published in the lead-up to the recent uprising are compiled in his book “Rise: The Story of The Egyptian Revolution As Written Shortly Before It Began.”

Recorded Wednesday 20th July 2011 at The Free Word Centre.