Screenshots: A Dictionary of the Revolution
Simon Groth
Screenshots is a regular feature by Simon Groth, highlighting a project, app, or other resource of interest.
A Dictionary of the Revolution
by Amira Hanafi
The text for A Dictionary of the Revolution is drawn from interviews with around 200 people recorded during the Egyptian revolution in 2014. Participants were asked to respond to cards, each containing words and phrases common in political rhetoric of the time.

The result is a remarkable piece of writing. Its 125 chapters—each gathered under one of the original interview prompts—provide glimpses of a world coming apart at the seams, infused with hints of violence and the melancholic sense that nothing can ever be the same again.
Its word-map navigation at once intuitive and innovative, suggesting connection between chapters and providing a semi-guided path through the text, rather than a random sampling of texts. What emerges is a kind of narrative, though one with no clear arc, no true beginning and definitely no end. Seems appropriate for a revolution.
Related posts
Screenshots is a regular feature by Simon Groth, highlighting a project, app, or other resource of interest. Writing with Machine Learning By Robin Sloan Robin Sloan...
If you’re a writer interested in finding out more about immersive entertainment - discovering how your audiences can be immersed and play an active part in your story – then we hav...
Facebook is one of the most popular social networking sites globally, with a little over a billion users worldwide (as of September 2012). If used properly, Facebook can be an inva...
From generative writing tools to augmented publishing processes, artificial intelligence is rapidly changing and challenging the landscape of creative writing and publishing. To re...
The book publishing industry is going through a huge transition. It’s easier than ever to get a book out into the world. All the resources you need to publish a book are available ...
Serendipity is the great unsung hero of publishing. We can never be sure of the precise value arising from chance encounters in bookshops, the flash of a good jacket catching the r...