SOAS Research Online

Authored Books

Moustafa, Ahmed and Sperl, Stefan (2014) The Cosmic Script: Sacred Geometry and the Science of Arabic Penmanship, Volume 1, Sources and Principles of the Geometry of Letters, Volume 2, From Geometric Pattern to Living Form. London and Rochester, VT: Thames and Hudson and Inner Traditions.

Sperl, Stefan (1989) Mannerism in Arabic Poetry, A Structural Analysis of Selected Texts (9th - 11th Centuries AD). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (Cambridge studies in Islamic civilization)

Edited Book or Journal Volume

Sperl, Stefan and Dedes, Yorgos, eds. (2022) Faces of the Infinite: Neoplatonism and Poetry at the Confluence of Africa, Asia and Europe. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Sperl, Stefan and Shackle, Christopher, eds. (1996) Qasida Poetry in Islamic Africa and Asia (2 volumes). Leiden: Brill. (Studies in Arabic literature, v. 20)

Kreyenbroek, Philip G and Sperl, Stefan, eds. (1991) The Kurds, A Contemporary Overview. London: Routledge.

Book Chapters

Sperl, Stefan (2022) 'Islamic Spirituality and the Visual Arts.' In: Lawrence, Bruce and Cornell, Vincent, (eds.), The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Islamic Spirituality. New York: Wiley, pp. 412-431.

Sperl, Stefan (2022) 'Stages of Ascent: Neoplatonic Affinities in Classical Arabic Poetry.' In: Sperl, Stefan and Dedes, Yorgos, (eds.), Faces of the Infinite: Neoplatonism and Poetry at the Confluence of Africa, Asia and Europe. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 93-130.

Sperl, Stefan (2020) 'The Qurʾan and Arabic Poetry.' In: Shah, Mustafa and Abdel-Haleem, Muhammad, (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Qur'anic Studies. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (Oxford handbooks)

Dedes, Yorgos and Sperl, Stefan (2013) ''In the Rosebower every Leaf is a Page of Delicate Meaning': An Arabic Perspective on Three Ottoman Kasides.' In: Aynur, Hatice, Çakır, Müjgan, Koncu, Hanife, Kuru, Selim S. and Özyıldırım, Ali Emre, (eds.), Kasîdeye Medhiye: Biçime, İşleve ve Muhtavaya Dair Tespitler. Istanbul: Klasik, pp. 188-314. (Eski Türk Edebiyatı Çalişmaları VIII)

Sperl, Stefan (2013) '"O City Set Up Thy Lament" - Poetic Responses to the Trauma of War.' In: Kennedy, Hugh, (ed.), War and Poetry in the Middle East. London: I.B. Taurus, pp. 1-37.

Sperl, Stefan (2010) 'Man's "hollow core": ethics and aesthetics in hadith literature and classical Arabic adab.' In: Shah, Mustafa, (ed.), The Hadith - Critical Concepts in Islamic Studies, Volume IV, Narrative, Context and Content. London: Routledge, pp. 98-118.

Sperl, Stefan (2009) 'Darkness Transformed into Light: Ibn al-Mu'tazz on the Pen.' In: Allison, Christine, Joisten-Pruschke, Anke and Wendtland, Antje, (eds.), From Daēna to Dîn : Religion, Kultur und Sprache in der iranischen Welt ; Festschrift für Philip Kreyenbroek zum 60. Geburtstag. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, pp. 457-464.

Sperl, Stefan (2009) 'Islamic Kingship and Arabic Panegyric Poetry in the Early Ninth Century.' In: Stetkevych, Suzanne P., (ed.), Early Islamic Poetry and Poetics. Farnham: Ashgate, pp. 79-94.

Sperl, Stefan (2005) 'Empire and Magic in a Tuareg Novel: Ibrahim al-Kawni’s al-Khusuf (The Lunar Eclipse).' In: Ouyang, Wen-Chin and Hart, Stephen M., (eds.), A Companion to Magical Realism. Woodbridge: Tamesis, pp. 237-246.

Sperl, Stefan (2004) 'Epic and Exile: Reflections on the Biography of the Prophet Muhammad.' In: Yousof, G. S., (ed.), Reflections on Asian-European Epics. Kuala Lumpur: Asia-Europe Foundation.

Sperl, Stefan (2004) 'Reflections on the Biography of the Prophet Muhammad.' In: Sarwar-Youof, G, (ed.), Reflections on Asian-European Epics. Singapore: Asia Europe Foundation, pp. 100-121.

Sperl, Stefan (2000) 'In Celebration of Spring: A Poem by al-Sanawbari.' In: Hawting, Gerald, Mojaddedi, J.A. and Samely, A., (eds.), Studies in Islamic and Middle Eastern texts and traditions in memory of Norman Calder. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 287-296. (Journal of Semitic studies., Supplement, 12)

Furniss, Graham (1996) 'Ma'ama'are.' In: Sperl, Stefan and Shackle, Christopher, (eds.), Qasida Poetry in Islamic Asia and Africa, Vol 2: Eulogy's Bounty, Meaning's Abundance. An Anthology. Leiden: Brill, pp. 372-87.

Furniss, Graham and Boyd, Jean (1996) 'Mobilise the people: the qasida in Fulfulde and Hausa as purposive literature.' In: Sperl, Stefan and Shackle, Christopher, (eds.), Qasida Poetry in Islamic Asia and Africa, Vol. 1: Classical Traditions and Modern Meanings. Leiden: Brill, pp. 429-449.

Sperl, Stefan (1996) 'Qasida Form and Mystic Path in 13th Century Egypt.' In: Sperl, Stefan and Shackle, Christopher, (eds.), Qasida poetry in Islamic Asia and Africa. Leiden: Brill, pp. 65-82. (Studies in Arabic literature, v. 20)

Hafez, Sabry (1996) 'The Transformation of the Qasida Form in Modern Arabic Literature.' In: Sperl, Stefan and Shackle, Christopher, (eds.), Qasida Poetry in Islamic Asia and Africa. Leiden: Brill, pp. 99-120. (Studies in Arabic Literature, Volume: 20)

Journal Article

Sperl, Stefan (2023) 'Whence Desire?' The International Journal of the Platonic Tradition, 17 (1). pp. 83-91.

Sperl, Stefan (2020) 'İnsanın "Boş Özü": Hadis Literatüründe ve Klasik Arap Edebinde Etik ve Estetik [translated by Suat Koca].' Hitit Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi / Journal of Divinity Faculty of Hitit University, 19 (1). pp. 506-546.

Sperl, Stefan (2008) 'Scripture and Modernity: Editorial Preface.' Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 71 (2). pp. 179-187.

Sperl, Stefan (2007) 'Man's "Hollow Core": Ethics and Aesthetics in Hadith Literature and Classical Arabic adab.' Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 70 (3). pp. 459-486.

Sperl, Stefan (2006) ''The Lunar Eclipse': History, Myth and Magic in Ibrahim al-Kawni's First Novel.' Middle Eastern Literatures, 9 (3). pp. 237-55.

Sperl, Stefan (2006) 'Crossing Enemy Boundaries: Al-Buhturi's Ode on the Ruins of Ctesiphon Re-Read in the Light of Virgil and Wilfred Owen.' Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 69 (3). pp. 365-79.

Sperl, Stefan (2006) 'Epic and Exile: Comparative Reflections on the Biography of the Prophet Muhammad, Virgil's Aeneid, and Valmiki's Ramayana.' Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East, 26 (1). pp. 96-104.

Sperl, Stefan (2002) 'International refugee aid and social change in northern Mali.' Refugee Survey Quarterly, 21 (1/2). pp. 147-159.

Sperl, Stefan (2000) 'Stabat Mater - Reflections on a Theme in German-Jewish and Palestinian-Arab Poetry.' Comparative Criticism, 22. pp. 105-129.

Sperl, Stefan (1994) 'The Literary Form of Prayer: Qur’an Sura One, the Lord’s Prayer and a Babylonian Prayer to the Moon God.' Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 57 (1). pp. 213-237.

Sperl, Stefan (1977) 'Islamic Kingship and Arabic Panegyric Poetry in the Early Ninth Century.' Journal of Arabic Literature, 8 (1). pp. 20-35.

Monographs and Working Papers

Sperl, Stefan and De Vriese, Machtelt (2005) From Emergency Evacuation to Community Empowerment: Review of the Repatriation and Reintegration Programme in Sierra Leona. Geneva: Evaluation and Policy Analysis Unit. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Sperl, Stefan and Brădişteanu, I (2004) Refugee Resettlement in Developing Countries: The Experience of Benin and Burkina Faso, 1997-2003: an Independent Evaluation. Geneva: Evaluation and Policy Analysis Unit. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Sperl, Stefan (2001) Evaluation of UNHCR’s policy on refugees in urban areas: A case study review of Cairo. Geneva: Evaluation and Policy Analysis Unit, UNHCR.

Sperl, Stefan (1998) Assistance to Older Refugees: Review and Case Studies from Africa, Eastern Europe and the Middle East, Evaluation and Policy Analysis Unit. Geneva: UNHCR EVAL/01/98 REV.1.

Sperl, Stefan (1998) Review of the Mali / Niger Repatriation and Reintegration Programme. Geneva: Evaluation Service, UNHCR.

Sperl, Stefan (1996) Lessons Learnt from the Rwanda and Burundi Emergencies 1993-94. Geneva: Evaluation Service, UNHCR.

Book Reviews

Sperl, Stefan (2023) 'Review of: The Cooing of the Dove and the Cawing of the Crow: Late ʿAbbāsid Poetics in Abū al-ʿAlāʾ al-Maʿarrī’s Saqṭ al-Zand and Luzūm Mā Lā Yalzam, written by Suzanne Pinckney Stetkevych.' Journal of Arabic Literature, 54 (3-4). pp. 464-472.

Sperl, Stefan (2023) 'Review of :'The Arabic Prose Poem: Poetic Theory and Practice' written by Huda J. Fakhreddine.' Journal of Arabic Literature, 54 (1-2). pp. 254-261.

Theses

Sperl, Stefan (1978) Mannerism in Arabic literature: A structural analysis of selected poetry 3rd century AH/9th century AD-5th century AH/11th century AD. PhD thesis. SOAS University of London. DOI: https://doi.org/10.25501/SOAS.00029706

Other

Sperl, Stefan and Dedes, Yorgos (2022) 'Lyrics of Ascent: Poetry and the Platonic Tradition – An Anthology.' London: The Editors and Contributors of Lyrics of Ascent.

Sperl, Stefan (2008) 'Crown versus Muhammad Asha: Expert Report on Arabic poetry exhibits ADG/36 and ADG/67.' commissioned by the defence council of Dr. Muhammad Asha (on trial for terrorism offences in Woolwich Crown Court).