Tahrir's Youth: Leaders of a Leaderless Revolution

The book "Tahrirs Youth" provides an in-depth account of the 2011 Egyptian revolution through the eyes of its youthful vanguard. It explores the motives, hopes, strategies, successes, failures, and disillusionments of the Revolutionary Youth Coalition (RYC) leaders and questions the belief that the revolution was spontaneous and leaderless.

Format: Hardback
Length: 356 pages
Publication date: 28 June 2022
Publisher: American University in Cairo Press

The 2011 Egyptian revolution was a pivotal moment in the country's history, marking a transformative experience for the young men and women who played a crucial role in bringing about the collapse of the Mubarak regime. "Tahrirs Youth" delves into the story of the organized youth who were behind the mass uprising that led to the spectacular downfall of the Mubarak regime. The book seeks to answer the questions of who these activists were, what they sought, and how the movement they unleashed shaped them as it unfolded.

Rusha Latif, the author, follows the trajectory of the movement from the perspective of the Revolutionary Youth Coalition (RYC), a key front forged in Tahrir Square during the early days of the revolt. Drawing on firsthand testimonies and her own direct experience, she offers insight into the motives, hopes, strategies, successes, failures, and disillusionments of the movement's leaders. The account details the challenges these activists faced as they attempted to steer the movement they had set in motion and highlights the factors that led to their struggles and eventual defeat, despite its initial promise.

"Tahrirs Youth" challenges the belief that Egypt's revolution was spontaneous and leaderless. The book is timely and necessary, as it illuminates the leadership dynamics of the uprising and demonstrates the need for imagining new modes of revolutionary organizing for the twenty-first century. By exploring the experiences of the young men and women who were at the forefront of the revolution, "Tahrirs Youth" provides valuable insights into the complexities and challenges of political change and the role of youth in driving it forward.

ISBN-13: 9781649030207