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Abstract The mounting sociopolitical upheavals, along with corruption and military dictatorship have functioned as adequate themes for the writings of Amal Dunqul and Ofeimun. Both writers have adopted ”Speaking Truth to Power” as an ideology not only to document the consequences for such sociopolitical turbulence, but also to face the authority with its own atrocities. Both of them have employed this concept into their writings in order to empower their people to move to ask for their rights. They have believed in the strong role of literature in changing societies. The thesis mainly deals with the role of the both writers under autocratic regimes. It also deals with the influential role of literature, poetry in particular, in dystopian states. It shows how poetry maybe influential in changing the society, as it can function as a mirror to the atrocities of the authority and a tool to speak out the agonies of the oppressed. The thesis basically explores the overlapped role of intellectuals and political activists, especially those who employ their own literary production as a way of fighting back dictatorship. It reflects that Ofeimun’s and Dunqul’s poetry defy the cumulative dictatorship of the postcolonial regimes in their newly independent countries. It also denotes the role of the both writers in struggling against dictatorial regimes as perceived by different thinkers and theorists like Edward Said, Barbara Harlow, Michel Foucault, and others. Besides, how the poetics of Dunqul and Ofeimun reflect the views of the aforementioned theorists. The thesis is divided to an introduction, three chapters and a conclusion. The introduction displays socio-political changes took place in both postcolonial Nigeria and Egypt and how such changes provided as subject matters for the writings of Ofeimun and Dunqul. It also tracks the usage of the term parrhesia, as an early premise of ”Speaking Truth to Power”. Chapter one is entitled The Role of the Intellectual under Dictatorial Regimes: The Rise of new Oppositional Voices is mainly the theoretical framework. It displays the endeavors of different theorists to define the concept of ”Speaking Truth to Power” in different contexts. It also explains the role of the ”real intellectual” versus the ”functionary intellectual” from the point of view of Edward Said. It also discusses the concept of resistance literature as an intellectual pursuit that is employed by real intellectuals to defy authority. Chapter two is entitled The Poetics of the Egyptian Spartacus: The Upcoming Testament of the Revolution displays the role of Amal Dunqul as a dissent intellectual who courageously speaks truth to power fearing no consequences. It also illustrates how he was influenced by the sociopolitical turbulence took place especially after 1952 revolution and the defeat of 1967. It also analyzes his stance towards the authority of Nāṣir and Sādāt in his poetry and how he stood against their policies. Chapter three entitled Ofeimun the Rebellious Griot: The Poet who did not Lie illustrates the role of Odia Ofeimun as a committed intellectual. It represents how he, as a spokesman of his generation, has performed a pivotal role in increasing people’s consciousness towards their rights during the postcolonial turmoil. Facing military tyranny, regionalism, and corruption has mainly given him the chance to be the voice of the agonized. His writings, along with his political career, chiefly worked on the side of the masses, especially after the several coups and the deteriorating economic conditions after the civil war. |