Eyeliner: A Cultural History

From the acclaimed editor of Our Women on the Ground comes a dazzling exploration of the intersections of beauty and power around the globe, told through the lens of an iconic cosmetic. From the distant past to the present, with fingers and felt-tipped pens, metallic powders and gel pots, humans have been drawn to lining their eyes. The aesthetic trademark of figures ranging from Nefertiti to Amy Winehouse, eyeliner is one of our most enduring cosmetic tools; ancient royals and Gen Z beauty influencers alike would attest to its uniquely transformative power. It is undeniably fun—yet it is also far from frivolous. Seen through Zahra Hankir’s (kohl-lined) eyes, this ubiquitous but seldom-examined product becomes a portal to history, proof both of the stunning variety among cultures across time and space and of our shared humanity. Through intimate reporting and conversations—with nomads in Chad, geishas in Japan, dancers in India, drag queens in New York, and more—Eyeliner embraces the rich history and significance of its namesake, especially among communities of color. What emerges is an unexpectedly moving portrait of a tool that, in various corners of the globe, can signal religious devotion, attract potential partners, ward off evil forces, shield eyes from the sun, transform faces into fantasies, and communicate volumes without saying a word. Delightful, surprising, and utterly absorbing, Eyeliner is a fascinating tour through streets, stages, and bedrooms around the world, and a thought-provoking reclamation of a key piece of our collective history. PUBLISHED 2023. ORDER IN THE US // ORDER IN THE UK

Review/Interview highlights
_{Pitssburgh Post-Gazette ~  The New Statesman  ~ Glamour UK ~ Book Riot ~ New York Times (preview) ~ Nylon  ~ Harper’s Bazaar Arabia ~ Library Journal* ~ Town and Country ~ Kirkus ~ Publishers Weekly* ~ The Bookseller}

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Our Women on the Ground: Arab Women Reporting From the Arab World

In Our Women on the Ground, 19 Arab women journalists speak out about what it’s like to report on their changing homelands, with a foreword by CNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour. A growing number of intrepid Arab and Middle Eastern sahafiyat—female journalists—are working tirelessly to shape nuanced narratives about their changing homelands, risking their lives on the front lines of war. From sexual harassment on the streets of Cairo to the difficulty of traveling without a male relative in Yemen, their challenges are unique—as are their advantages, such as being able to speak candidly with other women at a Syrian medical clinic or with men on WhatsApp who will go on to become ISIS fighters, rebels, or pro-regime soldiers. The sahafiyat tell us, in their own words, about what it’s like to report on conflicts that (quite literally) hit close to home. Their daring and heartfelt stories, told in this anthology for the first time, provide an urgently needed perspective on a part of the world that is frequently misunderstood. INCLUDING ESSAYS BY:  Donna Abu-Nasr, Aida Alami, Hannah Allam, Jane Arraf, Lina Attalah, Nada Bakri, Shamael Elnoor, Zaina Erhaim, Asmaa al-Ghoul, Hind Hassan, Eman Helal, Zeina Karam, Roula Khalaf, Nour Malas, Hwaida Saad, Amira Al-Sharif, Heba Shibani, Lina Sinjab, and Natacha Yazbeck. PUBLISHED 2019. BUY IN THE US // BUY IN THE UK

Review highlights
_{The New York Times ~ New York Review of Books ~ NPR ~ The Guardian}