Skip to product information
1 of 1

Goldsboro Books

9781847923509

1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows

1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows

by Ai Weiwei

Publisher Bodley Head

Genre: Non-Fiction

Released:


Regular price £50.00
Regular price Sale price £50.00
Sale Sold out
Rendering loop-subscriptions
Rendering loop-subscriptions

Available from:

Limited Edition Copies

View full details
  • Professionally Packed

    All of our books that have a dust wrapper are covered in clear protective, removable film and are packed professionally in bubble wrap and a box for shipping so that they reach you in perfect condition.

  • Book Condition & Notes

    This book is located in our Brighton store, and may take longer for delivery.

About the book

A FAMILY STORY AND THE TALE OF A NATION.

Ai Weiwei - one of the world's most famous artists and activists - weaves a century-long epic tale of China through the story of his own life and that of his father, Ai Qing, the nation's most celebrated poet.

'Engrossing...a remarkable story' Sunday Times

Here, through the sweeping lens of his own and his father's life, Ai Weiwei tells an epic tale of China over the last 100 years, from the Cultural Revolution to the modern-day Chinese Communist Party.

Here is the story of a childhood spent in desolate exile after his father, Ai Qing, once China's most celebrated poet, fell foul of the authorities.

Here is his move to America as a young man and his return to China, his rise from unknown to art-world superstar and international rights activist.

Here is his extraordinary account of how his work has been shaped by living under a totalitarian regime.

It's the story of a father and a son, of exceptional creativity and passionate belief, and of how two indomitable spirits enabled the world to understand their country.

'A story of inherited resilience and self-determination' Observer

'A majestic and exquisitely serious masterpiece about his China... One of the great voices of our time' Andrew Solomon

'Intimate, unflinching...an instant classic' Evan Osnos, author of Age of Ambition 

Collapsible content

About the Author

Ai Weiwei

Ai Weiwei is renowned for making strong aesthetic statements that resonate with timely phenomena across today’s geopolitical world. From architecture to installations, social media to documentaries, Ai uses a wide range of mediums as expressions of new ways for his audiences to examine society and its values. Recent exhibitions include: Ai Weiwei: Resetting Memories at MARCO in Monterrey, Ai Weiwei: Bare Life at the Mildred Lane Kemper Museum in St. Louis, Ai Weiwei at the K20/K21 in Dusseldorf, and Good Fences Make Good Neighbors with the Public Art Fund in New York City.

Ai was born in Beijing in 1957 and currently resides and works in Berlin. Ai is the recipient of the 2015 Ambassador of Conscience Award from Amnesty International and the 2012 Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent from the Human Rights Foundation.

  • The Goldsboro Crime Collective Unpacked!

    The Goldsboro Crime Collective Unpacked!

    Rebecca McDonnell

    The Goldsboro Crime Collective is a subscription service launched by Goldsboro Books in 2024, tailored specifically for crime fiction enthusiasts. Subscribers receive a monthly, hand-picked selection of first-edition crime novels,...

    Rebecca McDonnell

    The Goldsboro Crime Collective Unpacked!

    The Goldsboro Crime Collective is a subscription service launched by Goldsboro Books in 2024, tailored specifically for crime fiction enthusiasts. Subscribers receive a monthly, hand-picked selection of first-edition crime novels,...

  • Halloween Horrors: 6 Spine-Chilling Reads To Keep You Up All Night

    Halloween Horrors: 6 Spine-Chilling Reads To Ke...

    David Headley

    The witching season is upon us, and what better way to welcome the ghosts and ghouls than with a collection of horror books crafted to disturb, thrill, and delight? Here’s...

    David Headley

    Halloween Horrors: 6 Spine-Chilling Reads To Ke...

    The witching season is upon us, and what better way to welcome the ghosts and ghouls than with a collection of horror books crafted to disturb, thrill, and delight? Here’s...

  • 9 Crime & Thrillers Books You Simply Must Read

    9 Crime & Thrillers Books You Simply Must Read

    David Headley

    If you’re a fan of crime fiction, then you’ve likely heard of Capital Crime, London’s largest festival of crime and thriller. Ahead of revealing their exciting 2025 headliners, we sat...

    David Headley

    9 Crime & Thrillers Books You Simply Must Read

    If you’re a fan of crime fiction, then you’ve likely heard of Capital Crime, London’s largest festival of crime and thriller. Ahead of revealing their exciting 2025 headliners, we sat...

  • An Interview with Deon Meyer

    An Interview with Deon Meyer

    Goldsboro Books

    We recently had the joy of hosting Deon Meyer as he signed copies of Leo, this is the thrilling new novel from the author of major Netflix series Heart of...

    Goldsboro Books

    An Interview with Deon Meyer

    We recently had the joy of hosting Deon Meyer as he signed copies of Leo, this is the thrilling new novel from the author of major Netflix series Heart of...

1 of 4