We are delighted to announce the publication of AKU-ISMC's new book, Poet and Businessman: Abd al-Aziz al-Babtain and the Formation of Modern Kuwait by the Dean Professor Leif Stenberg.
About the Book
‘Our passion for poetry as Arabs … emerged from what poetry has been – and always will be – a presentation of Arabic life itself. Poetry for Arabs is a means of satisfying the self, the soul and even the body. He inhales from poetry whatever pleases the self, elevates the soul and delights the ear.’
—Abd al-Aziz al-Babtain
Poet and Businessman, which is published in association with Gingko, reviews and analyses the modern history of Kuwait by telling the story of Abd al-Aziz al-Babtain (b. 1936), a businessman, philanthropist and poet whose own story closely interweaves with the history of the Gulf state.
Professor Leif Stenberg takes a wide-ranging view of this history and presents a rare study of an individual whose generation experienced first-hand the discovery of oil and the incredible changes it wrought on their small society. The costs of that discovery, alongside its many benefits, continue to play a crucial part in the socio-economic and cultural development of Kuwait and the wider region.
Constructing an overview of the modern history of Kuwait in parallel with the life of Abd al-Aziz al-Babtain, Professor Stenberg succeeds in addressing an otherwise neglected area of Arabian history and the contemporary Middle East. The result is a balanced account of the development of Kuwait, enriched by the story of a remarkable and influential individual.
Reviews
‘Poet and Businessman provides a wonderful insight into the tremendous change that has gripped the Gulf region, and Kuwait in particular, over the past 70 years. The book is an invaluable contribution to our understanding of the political and social changes in a country that only became independent in 1961. A significant addition to the existing literature.’
—Dr Christian Koch, Director of Research, Gulf Research Center
'Stenberg offers an illuminating lens on the history of modern Kuwait in the life of the founder of one of the country’s most successful and influential family-owned holding companies. A resourceful entrepreneur and a keen advocate of Arabic poetry and culture, al-Babtain is older than Kuwait itself and his story exemplifies the role his generation of business magnates and philanthropists have had on the country’s path to a national identity and economic prosperity.’
—Lisa Anderson, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University
'This is an engaging and illuminating work on a period of history in the Gulf region that remains overlooked. A key aspect of Stenberg’s discussion is an analysis of Kuwait’s post-invasion transformations, shedding light on the hopes and struggles of its leadership and its people, citizens and residents, women and men. Al-Babtain’s career captures nuances of, and relationships between, Islam, Arabism, capitalism and culture, both state and popular.’
—Dr Amal Ghazal, Doha Institute for Graduate Studies and Simon Fraser University
Author
Leif Stenberg is Dean and Professor of Islamic Studies at AKU-ISMC. Between 2010 and 2019, Stenberg was President of the Nordic Society of Middle Eastern Studies and he is currently a member of the World Congress for Middle Eastern Studies (WOCMES) Council and vice-president of the European Association for Middle Eastern Studies (EURAMES). He is the editor of numerous books including: Syria from Reform to Revolt Vol. II: Culture, Society and Religion (co-edited with Salamandra, Syracuse University Press, 2015) and Navigating Contemporary Iran: Challenging Economic, Social and Political Perceptions (co-edited with Hooglund, Routledge, 2012). He has recently edited a volume, with Dr Philip Wood, entitled What is Islamic Studies? European and North American Approaches to a Contested Field (EUP, February 2022).
