9. Protest Poetry On- and Offline: Trans-regional Interactions in the Arabian Gulf: An Example from Bahrain

Literature platforms, poetry on YouTube, and blogs have all contributed to the flourishing of digital literature in the Gulf. One example of the outstanding role of digital literature is protest poetry from Bahrain that also spread through YouTube. Ayat al-Qurmazi’s poetry recitation will serve as one example of hands-on activism. While political dissent through cultural production is not only distinctive for the Arab world, this is a region where the literature and poetry are more often used for these purposes than elsewhere in the world. As one of the most important aspects of online literature lies in the processes of local and regional interactions, I examine open forums and institutionalized platforms. A focus lies on dissent and state counteractions offline and online related to literary protest expression.