The Tunisian revolution had taken the world by surprise. Never before in the history of the modern Arab world had a grassroots uprising toppled an entrenched dictator of Ben Ali's caliber and longevity without recourse to any form of established ideology or political party nor to foreign intervention, which has until recently been bandied about as the only midwife to real democracy in the Arab world. The aim of this talk is to reflect on the making of the Tunisian revolution with particular focus on the role of culture as a vehicle of popular discontent against the regime before and after the revolution. Literature, cinema, poetry and music kept alive the critical repository on which the mass mobilization of Tunisians hinged. The talk will conclude by assessing the challenges and prospects for the success of the Tunisian revolution both in the near and far future.