Dr. Stefan Williamson Fa

Stefan Williamson Fa is an anthropologist of sound, the senses, and Islam. He received his PhD in Social Anthropology from University College London (2019) and a Masters in Ethnomusicology from SOAS, University of London (2014). His doctoral and post-doctoral research examined the role of sound in Twelver Shi‘i Muslim devotional and everyday life in Turkey and the Caucasus. His work has been published in numerous books and journals, including Cultural Anthropology and the International Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, with his first monograph, tentatively titled Sonic Relations, in preparation for publication in 2024. His current research investigates the historical and contemporary connections between Anatolia, the Caucasus, and Iran, through the lens of multi-linguistic, -ethnic, and -religious, singer-poets (aşık/aşıq/ashugh) across this region. Beyond his academic research and publications, Stefan is also a music producer and filmmaker working closely with musicians and artists from the Caucasus and West Asia.