Alex Shams

Alex Shams is a writer and anthropologist with a PhD from the University of Chicago.

He is editor-in-chief of Ajam Media Collective, a platform focused on culture, society, and politics in West and Central Asia. He previously worked as a journalist and researcher in the Middle East, based in Iran, Lebanon, and Palestine.

He has curated several artistic projects, including a workshop at the Lahore Biennale (2020) and the Mexican photographic series Sementerxs (2024). He is currently working on a non-fiction book, a historical novel, and a TV series.

He received his master's from Harvard University and his bachelor's from the University of Southern California. His articles are archived on this site.

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About me

Alex Shams is a writer and anthropologist with a PhD from the University of Chicago.

He is an editor-in-chief of Ajam Media Collective (ajammc.com), a platform focused on culture and society throughout Iran as well as Central and South Asia.

He was based in Bethlehem, Palestine from 2013-2015, where he worked for Ma’an News Agency, the largest independent Palestinian news agency.

He previously received his master’s from Harvard University in Middle Eastern studies. His work focuses on the intersections of gender, religion, politics, and urban space in the modern Middle East.