Description
What do we owe to past and future generations? What do we owe to the places that we inhabit?
Join us online on Sunday, October 26 at 9:30am to celebrate Alice Mah’s new book, Red Pockets, shortlisted for the 2025 Wainwright Prize for Conservation Writing.
Red Pockets is a moving meditation on ancestry, belonging, and the intertwined fates of people and planet. In this haunting blend of memoir, cultural history, and environmental reflection, Mah traces her journey from South China to post-industrial England and the Chinatowns of British Columbia, searching for a way to honour the “hungry ghosts” of her ancestors. What begins as a personal pilgrimage unfolds into a profound exploration of what we owe to those who came before us — and to those who will inherit what we leave behind.
This event is free, but please RSVP here.
More about the author: Alice Mah is a Chinese Canadian-British writer and Professor of Urban and Environmental Studies at the University of Glasgow. Originally from a small town in northern British Columbia, she has a long-standing interest in ecology and place. Her award-winning research focuses on toxic pollution and environmental justice, the subjects of her most recent books: Petrochemical Planet and Plastic Unlimited. This is her first trade book.
About Upstart & Crow: Upstart & Crow is a not-for-profit creative studio and literary incubator that champions writers, readers and stories, and the role they play in shaping our lives. We develop original programs, support artists and revel in creative projects focused on Literature In Translation / Climate Solutions / Poetry / Civic Dialogue / Community & Skills Building … all with the aim of elevating the role of literature and storytelling in our lives. Find us on Granville Island, Gibsons and online at upstartandcrow.com.
Accessibility: The main studio of our shop is accessible for folks with mobility aids. There is a washroom on the main floor available for attendees.
Questions: hello[at]upstartandcrow.com.
Red Pockets
“Fear of the future, an ache for the past, the present awash with disquiet: into this turmoil, Alice Mah’s book appears like a little red boat, keeping hope afloat against all odds.” —Anita Roy, The Guardian
