I am a historian and editor focusing on the modern Middle East. I specialize in the history and politics of Palestine/Israel, Iran and the Persian Gulf. My institutional home is at the University of Oxford where I am a PhD candidate in History.

My PhD thesis deals with the transnational connections between Palestine/Israel and the Persian Gulf in the 19^th and 20^th centuries. I focus on Jewish history in the Gulf, particularly as it connects to Palestine and the Zionist movement before 1948. My work spans intellectual, social and political history, including topics like Jewish migration, labour politics, regional diplomacy and British imperial rule.

Before starting my PhD, I completed an MPhil in Modern Middle Eastern Studies (Oxford, 2020) and a BA in Arabic and History (SOAS, 2017). In between, I have also done policy work at the Norwegian Embassy in Saudi Arabia and at the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment.

My academic work has appeared in journals like Past & Present and British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies. I’ve also written commentary for NRK Ytring, Morgenbladet and Stavanger Aftenblad. I was previously Chief Editor of Oxford Middle East Review.

Besides my research, I offer editing services and advice for other researchers and writers. Check out my Editing page and get in touch at eirik (at) kvindesland (dot) net