It is indicative of the censored media and interrupted internet in Myanmar, that - as frequent visitors to the country - we only pick up news of events on our return to the UK.
Along with the rest of the outside world, my Burmese wife and I look on with horror at the escalation of violence on the streets of Myanmar. In the plaintive words of one Burmese youth in a western newsfeed from the capital: ‘We were just learning to fly, and now they have broken our wings’. What chance is there that the bird will fly again?
In my latest book I consider the grim obstinacy of the military junta in Myanmar. Through the lens of my wife’s Burmese family spanning the 20th century to the present day, come stories of hope for a brighter future as a new millennial generation becomes more influential.
"In this rare and revealing book, the conundrums of modern Myanmar are animated by a string of unusual encounters, family connections and intimate observations."
"..a fascinating manuscript. It's so rich in texture and colour that it is like an enigmatic painting with so many bright as well as dark shades in it leaving the viewer in awe as well as a bit sad."
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