Middle East and Islamic Studies
New at Brill in Open Access: Encyclopædia Iranica Online
Encyclopaedia Iranica is the most renowned reference work in the field of Iran studies. Founded by the late Professor Ehsan Yarshater and edited at the Ehsan Yarshater Center for Iranian Studies at Columbia University, this monumental international project brings together the scholarship about Iran of thousands of authors around the world.
News & Announcements
Stay up-to-date with the Brill Community and sign up to our newsletter!
Sign upEncyclopædia Iranica Online Now Freely Accessible at Brill
The Ehsan Yarshater Center for Iranian Studies at Columbia University, New York, and Brill are delighted to announce that the Encyclopædia Iranica Online is now freely accessible at Brill’s Reference Works Platform. Encyclopædia Iranica is the comprehensive academic reference work dedicated to the study of Iranian civilization in the Middle East, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent.
Ancient Iran Series Added to Brill’s Publishing Portfolio
As part of their growing portfolio in Middle East and Islamic Studies, Brill has signed an agreement for the take-over of the book series Ancient Iran Series. With its coverage of ancient, pre-, and early-Islamic Iran, this book series complements other book series with a more modern focus on this geographical area, as well as the various other journals and encyclopaedias Brill publishes in this field.
Read an interview with Geert Jan van Gelder
The longstanding series Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section 1: The Near and Middle East recently reached its 150th volume by publishing the special Prominent Murder Victims of the Pre- and Early Islamic Periods Including the Names of Murdered Poets. We caught up with Geert Jan van Gelder, editor and translator of the volume.
Acquisitions Editors
Brill
Maurits van den Boogert
Nicolette van der Hoek
Abdurraouf Oueslati
Teddi Dols
Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht
Jehona Kicaj
On 21 March, President Denis Sassou Nguesso of the Republic of Congo stood for his fourth election since reclaiming power in 1997. Sassou Nguesso left little to chance. In the run-up to the election, he purchased massive amounts of weapons from abroad, kept his chief opponents from the 2016 election in prison, and incarcerated journalists, civil society leaders, and opposition activists. The election was boycotted by most major political parties. Western governments refused to send monitors. Few citizens bothered to participate, since no one believed the election would be free and fair. Amid credible and widespread reports of fraud, Sassou Nguesso claimed 89% of the vote. The government struggled to contain the Covid-19 pandemic. Unable to organise an efficient vaccination campaign, the government resorted to more coercive measures, including a night-time curfew and requiring vaccination cards to access financial institutions, public transportation, and other basic services. Sassou Nguesso’s foreign policy was animated by the ongoing economic crisis, which yielded a debt-to-gdp ratio of 115%, and his legal troubles abroad, which culminated in the seizure of state assets in France and a settlement with the US Department of Justice. By year’s end, the government was poised to finalise an agreement with the imf that would provide $456 m and unlock as much as $900 m from other creditors.