Join us for a special launch of Abdel Bari Atwan’s latest book, Islamic State: The Digital Caliphate, published by Saqi Books. The new paperback edition of the book is updated with a new chapter offering a comprehensive and well researched picture of the Islamic State.

Based on exclusive interviews with Islamic State insiders, Abdel Bari Atwan reveals the origins and modus operandi of the fastest-growing and richest terrorist group in the world. Outlining its leadership structure and strategies, Atwan shows how the group has masterfully used social media, Hollywood ‘blockbuster’-style videos, and even jihadi computer games to spread its message and to recruit young people – from Tunisia to Bradford.

As Islamic State continues to dominate the world’s media headlines with acts of ruthless violence, Atwan considers its chances of survival and offers indispensable insight into potential government responses to contain the IS threat.

The author will be in conversation with Professor Nabil Ayad, directer of the Academy of Diplomacy and Internal Governance in London.

Abdel Bari Atwan is a Palestinian writer and journalist. The former editor-in-chief of al-Quds al-Arabi for twenty-five years, he now edits the Rai al-Youm news website – the Arab world’s first Huffington Post-style outlet. Atwan interviewed Osama bin Laden twice in the late 1990s and has cultivated uniquely well-placed sources from within the various branches of al-Qa‘ida and other jihadi groups, including IS, over the last twenty years. His other books include The Secret History of al-Qa’ida and After bin Laden: al-Qa’ida, the Next Generation, and a memoir, A Country of Words: A Palestinian Journey from the Refugee Camp to the Front Page.

FREE, rsvp@mosaicrooms.org