HA Hellyer's Blog

For years, I have had access to this website through my association with the University of Warwick - first as a doctoral student (was it really that long ago), then as a member of staff at the University as a Fellow and Senior Research Fellow.

Yet, I did not take full advantage of it - my academic work is already described on my faculty website, and in terms of my policy work, the research consultancy (the Visionary Consultants Group) I am associated with as Director has its own web presence.

I decided recently to create and sustain this blog, however, for three reasons.

Firstly, because since 1997 I have been writing media pieces in a variety of different fora: the Guardian (UK), the Washington Post (USA), the National (UAE) and elsewhere. It made sense to have a single place where all my media pieces could be viewed and critiqued - and soon, many (if not most) of them will be available here).

My second reason is that on the 2nd of October 2009, my book entitled "Muslims of Europe: the 'Other' Europeans", published by Edinburgh University Press, will be released. From the winter of 2009 until the spring of 2010, events will be held on the book's themes in the UK, the US, the Middle East and Southeast Asia - and I will be using this blog to direct people to where these will be taking place.

Foremost, however, on my mind is the ablity to have a forum where my work, as an academic and public intellectual, can be criticised, critiqued and ultimately put to the test. I look forward to seeing just how much trouble I'm about to get myself into...

Hisham Hellyer : 18 Sep 2009 19:41 |  Comments (1) |  Report a problem