Penguin Random House – Seen through Zahra Hankir’s (kohl-lined) eyes, Eyeliner becomes a portal to history, proof both of the stunning variety among cultures and our shared humanity.
Through intimate reporting and conversations—with nomads in Chad, geishas in Japan, dancers in India, drag queens in New York, and more—Eyeliner embraces the rich history and significance of its namesake, especially among communities.
The aesthetic trademark of figures ranging from Nefertiti to Amy Winehouse, eyeliner is one of our most enduring cosmetic tools. Ancient royals and Gen Z beauty influencers alike would attest to its uniquely transformative power.
What emerges is an unexpectedly moving portrait of a tool that can signal religious devotion, attract potential partners, ward off evil forces, shield eyes from the sun, transform faces into fantasies, and communicate volumes without saying a word.
Hankir returns to the Peacemindedly podcast for her new book. Previously, we featured her for Our Women on the Ground, a book of essays of female Arab journalists that she edited.
The New York Times Book Review calls Eyeliner a “Cosmetic, tool of rebellion, status signifier: Eyeliner has been all these and more. Moving through millenniums and across civilizations, Hankir gives the makeup its eye-opening due.”
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