In 1983, Ma Jian turned 30 and was overwhelmed by the desire to escape the confines of his life in Beijing. With his long hair, jeans and artistic friends, Ma Jian was under surveillance from his work unit and the police, as Deng Xiaoping clamped down on 'Spiritual Pollution'. His ex-wife was seeking custody of their daughter; his girlfriend was sleeping with another man; and he could no longer find the inspiration to write or paint. One day he bought a train ticket to the westernmost border of China and set off in search of himself.

Ma Jian's journey would last three years and take him to deserts and overpopulated cities, from scenes of barbarity to havens of tranquillity and beauty. The result is an utterly unique insight into the teeming contradictions of China that only a man who was both an insider and an outsider in his own country could have written.

Celebrated Chinese writer Ma Jian sets off on an extraordinary journey around China in search of himself and his country. Winner of the Thomas Cook Travel Award

About the Author
Ma Jian was born in Qingdao, China. He is the author of seven novels, a travel memoir, three story collections and two essay collections. He has been translated into twenty-six languages. Since the publication of his first book in 1987, all his work has been banned in China. He now lives in exile in London

Reviews
Enthralling... He depicts a land of extraordinary physical beauty and interest and his prose is always elegant. Read this book for its human truthfulness and for unforgettable moments * Daily Telegraph *
Red Dust is a tour de force, a powerfully picaresque cross between the sort of travel book any Western author would give his eye-teeth to write, and a disturbing confession * Independent *
It opens windows on landscapes small and vast, all still largely unobserved and unknown to Westerners * Observer *
Honest, raw, insightful... The Chinese equivalent of On the Road * Time *
[Ma's] powers of description make every page buzz with life... Someone who could rank among the great travel writers * New York Times Book Review *


Awards
Winner of Thomas Cook Travel Book Award 2002. Short-listed for Thomas Cook Travel Book Award 2002.



Book Information
ISBN 9780099283294
Author Ma Jian
Format Paperback
Page Count 336
Imprint Vintage
Publisher Vintage Publishing
Weight(grams) 234g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 21mm