Shawkan

Acclaimed Egyptian photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid, known professionally as Shawkan, joins the program as its Journalist-in-Residence. Shawkan’s career has been defined by his commitment to documenting truth through the lens, a dedication that resulted in his unlawful arrest and subsequent five-year imprisonment for covering political protests in Cairo. An internationally recognized figure for press freedom, Shawkan was awarded the prestigious UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize in 2018 while still detained, honors from the National Press Club, and the International Press Freedom Award from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

During his time at Reid Hall, Shawkan will focus on visual storytelling projects that explore themes of memory, confinement, and the enduring resilience of the human spirit through photography and journalism.