A book on Tweets posted during Egyptian revolution

Titled 'Tweets from Tahrir: Egypt's Revolution as It Unfolded, in the Words of the People Who Made It

PTI | March 7, 2011



Microblogging site Twitter became the mouthpiece of many Egyptians during the recent mass uprising in the country and now a selection of key tweets and photos posted during the revolution are being made into a book. Titled 'Tweets from Tahrir: Egypt's Revolution as It Unfolded, in the Words of the People Who Made It', the book is being published by OR Books. Composed entirely of tweets, the book will provide a narrative of the revolution through a collection of Twitter posts. "The Twitter accounts of the activists who brought heady days of revolution to Egypt in January and February this year paint an exhilarating picture of an uprising in real-time," the publishing company said in a statement. "This book brings together a selection of key tweets in a compelling, fast-paced narrative, allowing the story of the uprising to be told directly by the people in Tahrir Square," the statement said. The book will be edited by British journalist Alex Nunns and activist Nadia Idle, an Egyptian who was on the ground in Cairo during the protests. The duo had begun keeping records of the Tweets as they were being posted online during the demonstrations. They have combed through feeds ever since to build a portrait of the "first draft of history". OR Books' co-founder Colin Robinson said the book will contain contributions from roughly fifty tweeters, all of whom have been contacted by Nunns and Idle and have granted permission to be included in the collection. Photographs taken and posted on the microblogging site by the protestors would be used to illustrate and provide "remarkable snapshots from the heart of the action." He added that the book would help preserve tweets that may have been lost or forgotten. Robinson said OR Books did not contact Twitter to obtain the company's permission for using the tweets. He added that he thinks Twitter will like the book. "I think Twitter is going to be supportive of the book. I think they should be proud of the fact that their technology helped these young people." The book will take the readers through each day of the revolution until the resignation of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak in February. It will be released on April 21, a little over two months after the revolution ended Mubarak's 30 year rule. It will be sold for USD 12 in paperback form and USD 10 in e-book form. "History has never before been recorded in this fashion. The tweet limit of 140 characters evidently concentrated the feelings of those using Twitter. Raw emotions burst from their messages, whether frantic alarm at attacks from pro-government thugs or delirious happiness at the fall of the dictator," the company said. Reading these tweets will be tantamount to "a rollercoaster ride, from the surprise and excitement of the first demonstration, to the horror of the violence that claimed hundreds of lives, to the final ecstasy of victory."

Comments

 

Other News

How Rafi, Raj Kapoor helped pave the way for a great uranium deal

There`s a certain moment in diplomacy that`s too personal to be captured in a communiqué, too small to make the front page, but more revealing than the front page. This week, prime minister Narendra Modi reached Tashkent and, amid the pomp of state visits, managed to evoke the old Bollywood tunes

Distinguishing Fish 1 and Fish 2: The pragmatism behind India’s WTO ratification

 India became the 123rd WTO member to ratify the multilateral Agreement on Fisheries subsidies (AoFS) when it deposited the Instrument of Acceptance for Phase 1 on July 20, 2026. The ratification is restricted to disciplining Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing (IUU), protection for overfished

The 7% growth problem: Why the next 7% will be harder

India has become accustomed to hearing the 7% growth number. It is now less a milestone than an expectation. Yet the paradox is becoming clearer: maintaining 7% growth may be considerably harder than achieving it once. India’s real GDP grew 7.7% in FY2025–26, following growth of 6.5% in FY202

The Constitution cannot be altered: Justice Abhay Oka

Justice Abhay Oka, who retired from the Supreme Court in May 2025, has said that the Constitution of India cannot be altered. Explaining the landmark Kesavananda Bharati judgment (1973) on the basic structure of the Constitution, he said, “This is one judgment that has saved democracy in India.&rdq

How the flora and fauna evolved in the Indian subcontinent

Mammals of India  By A.J.T. Johnsingh and P.O. Nameer HarperCollins India in association with Bombay Natural History Society  

India`s renewable race is moving beyond megawatts

When Shell bought Sprng Energy in 2022, India`s renewable energy market appeared to offer precisely what global energy majors were seeking: scale, growth and a place in one of the world`s largest energy transitions. Four years later, Shell is selling the same business to Aditya Birla Group for an enterpris

Upcoming Conferences



-->

Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter