Meet two very different Arab writers, an Iraqi and a Libyan, who both challenged received ideas in conservative countries but, despite their huge popularity, were forced to the margins of society. Ali al-Wardi’s ideas about a split Iraqi identity were widely condemned by political and religious leaders – but ordinary Iraqis loved his books and he even had his own TV show. Sadeq al-Naihoum was so popular that even illiterate Libyans used to buy newspapers so they could pretend to read his column. He had a brief connection with Muammar Gaddafi but spent much of his career in exile from Libya and he continues to divide opinion today.