WHEN: Wed Jan 31 at 8:30 – 9:30 PM Beijing Time (online)

WHAT: Author Alec Ash will discuss his new book "The Mountains are High: a Year of Escape and Discovery in Rural China" online with moderator Rianka Mohan

MORE ABOUT THE EVENT: Alec Ash describes his book, slated to come out Feb. 8, as the memoir of his first year living in a quiet mountain village in the valley of Dali, southwest China, in 2020, after leaving the honk and buzz of Beijing. This enclave of rural escape has increasingly attracted 'reverse-migrants' from the cities, disillusioned with China's high-pressure urban life (and authoritarian politics), instead seeking personal freedoms and alternative ways of life, be it spirituality, environmentalism, mind-altering experiences or just the simple life – hiding away from the state, and from modernity, where "the mountains are high, the emperor far away." The book traces his quest for some of the same grails, after personal circumstances led him there. The Mountains Are High is a beautifully written, candid memoir about how reevaluating what is really important and taking a leap of faith to reach it can genuinely transform your life. As one of the 'new migrants' tells Alec when he arrives: it is easy to change your environment, far more difficult to change your mind.

MORE ABOUT THE SPEAKER:A writer and editor focused on China, Alec Ash lived in Beijing and Dali between 2008 and 2022. He is the author of Wish Lanterns (Picador, 2016), literary nonfiction about the lives of six young Chinese people, a BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week. His long-form articles have appeared in NYRB, LARB, The Atlantic, The Guardian, and elsewhere, and he has been a stringer for The Sunday Times and The Economist. He was previously editor of LARB China Channel, founder of the writers' collective The Anthill, and contributor to two anthologies of literary reportage, Chinese Characters, and While We're Here. He currently edits the China Books Review at Asia Society.

MORE ABOUT THE MODERATOR: Rianka Mohan is a freelance writer and former investment banker. Her poetry was included in Mingled Voices 6: The International Proverse Poetry Prize Anthology and her work has been showcased at The Glass House Festival, Lens of Passion, Spittoon, and Republic of Brown. Previously, she has moderated panels for the Beijing International Society, RASBJ (Desert Pilgrims), the EU-China Literary Festivals, and the Neilson Hays Literature Festival, among others.

HOW MUCH: This online event is free for members of RASBJ; RMB 50 for members of partner RAS branches; RMB 100 for non-members. Interested in becoming an RASBJ member? Please sign up at https://rasbj.org/membership​​​

If you experience difficulty paying via Wechat, please try Alipay instead. We hope to "see" you there!

HOW TO JOIN THE EVENT: Please click "Register" or "I Will Attend" and follow the instructions. After successful registration you'll receive a confirmation email with a link to join the event. If you seem not to have received it, please check your spam folder.

Members of partner RAS branches: Please register at least 72 hours in advance to allow time for membership verification; you'll receive several emails from RASBJ: one confirming your registration request, another requesting payment, and a third confirming your registration with a link to join the event. Please check your spam folder to ensure you see all RASBJ emails.