Author: Alessia Melcangi, Stefano Torelli, Massimiliano Cricco Leila El Houssi

Leila El Houssi holds a PhD in History and International Relations of Extra European Countries. She is Adjunct Professor of History of Islamic Countries at the University of Padua, Italy. Her publications include Costruire la libertà. Tunisia: Dalla modernità alla tradizione? (2012), Il Risveglio della democrazia. La Tunisia dall”indipendenza alla transizione (2013), and L”urlo contro il regime. Gli antifascisti italiani in Tunisia tra le due guerre (2014), which received the prestigious Matteotti award.Alessia Melcangi holds a PhD in Political Thought and Institutions in Mediterranean Societies from the University of Catania, Italy, where she now works with the Centre for Studies on the Contemporary Islamic World and Africa. She has published articles in journals such as Africa and Nova Collectanea Africana, in addition to having contributed chapters to various collections. She is also the author of Credere in Cristo, vivere con Maometto. I copti tra politica e religione nell”Egitto di Nasser (1952-1970) (2016).Stefano Torelli holds a PhD in History of International Relations. He is Research Fellow at the Italian Institute for International Political Studies and Adjunct Professor at the IULM University in Milan, Italy. He has published in various journals, including The British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, Middle East Policy, Insight Turkey and Jadaliyya, and is the author of La Tunisia contemporanea (2015).Massimiliano Cricco holds a PhD in History of International Relations. He is Associate Professor of History of International Relations at the Guglielmo Marconi University, Italy. He is the author and co-author of four books, Il petrolio dei Senussi. Stati Uniti e Gran Bretagna dall”indipendenza a Gheddafi (1949–1973) (2002); La diplomazia italiana e gli equilibri mediterranei. La politica mediorientale dell”Italia dalla guerra dei Sei Giorni al conflitto dello Yom Kippur (1967–1973) (2006); Gheddafi. I volti del potere (2011); and Storia della Libia contemporanea (2012).