The Speculative Circle

Maktaba: A Speculative Thought Circle is a monthly gathering dedicated to collective reading, viewing, and discussion across disciplines. Rooted in the Arabic word for “library,” Maktaba takes the form of an open and horizontal learning environment where participants gather around a roundtable to reflect on texts and artistic practices, from exhibitions, books, film, and image to performance and sound, considering the ways they speak to one another and what we might speculate from them. 

For its next session, Maktaba turns its attention to love. Facilitated by artist Ameena AlJerman, the gathering explores love in all its facets, drawing on the perspectives of thinkers, academics, and artists alongside Ameena's own practice. The session unfolds in two parts: a collective exploration of what love has meant and what it might yet become, followed by a hands-on, embodied reflection.

You are invited to arrive with an open mind and, if you wish, a small offering of love: a gift from someone dear, a piece of poetry, or a song that lingers with you.

All texts and/or bodies of work for each Maktaba Circle are shared prior to our meeting. Participants are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the materials, annotate, and bring their own references and offerings to the discussion.

Accessibility & Participation

About the Instructor

Sarah Afaneh is a researcher and writer interested in decolonizing knowledge production. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Literature and Creative Writing from NYU Abu Dhabi, with a double major in Social Research and Public Policy and a minor in Political Science. Sarah's recent work has been dedicated to understanding the body as storage; a space where emotion, memory, and knowledge are hosted consciously or subconsciously.