Imprisoning a Revolution

This groundbreaking collection of writings by prisoners of conscience in Egypt offers a unique lens on the global rise of authoritarianism over the last decade.

This book contains letters, poetry, and art produced by Egyptians imprisoned from the eruption of the January 25, 2011, uprising through the fall of 2023. Some are by journalists, lawyers, activists, and artists imprisoned for expressing their opposition to Egypt's authoritarian order; others are by ordinary citizens caught up in the zeal to silence any hint of challenge to state power, including bystanders whose only crime was to be near a police sweep.

Together, the contributors to Imprisoning a Revolution raise profound questions about the nature of politics both in authoritarian regimes and in their "democratic" allies, who continue to enable and support such violence. This collection offers few answers and even less consolation, but it does offer voices from behind the prison walls that remind readers of our collective obligation not to look away or remain silent. With a foreword by acclaimed Egyptian novelist Ahmed Naji and an afterword with Kenyan literary giant Ngugi wa Thiong'o, this book holds a mirror not just to Egypt but to the world today, urging us to stop the rampant abuse and denial of fundamental human rights around the globe.