Book description
Some go to Tibet seeking inspiration, others for adventure. The
award-winning journalist, Claire Scobie, found both when she left her
ordinary life in London and went to the Himalayas in search of a rare
red lily. Her journey took her to Pemako, where few Westerners have
set foot and where the myth of Shangri-la was born. It was here she
became friends with Ani, an unusual Tibetan nun who was to change her life.
Through seven journeys in Tibet, Claire chronicles a rapidly
changing world - where monks talk on mobiles and Lhasa's sex industry
thrives. But it is Ani, a penniless wanderer with a rich heart, who
leaves an indelible impression. Together, in a culture where freedom
of expression is forbidden, they risk arrest. And they forge an
abiding friendship, based on intuition and deep respect.
Evoking the luminous landscape of snow peaks and wild alpine
gardens, Claire Scobie captures the paradoxes of contemporary Tibet, a
land steeped in religion, struggling against oppression and galloping
towards modernity. Last Seen in Lhasa is a unique story of
insight and adventure that can touch us all.
Claire Scobie studied History at Cambridge, where she won an award as
Best Features Journalist for the student newspaper. On graduating she
worked for the
Saturday Telegraph Magazine
for three years and won the Catherine Pakenham Award as Best Young
Journalist of the Year. Since then she has written for numerous
publications including the
Daily Telegraph, The Observer, Scotsman on
Sunday, The Age, The Bulletin
and
The South China Morning Post.
She has been living in Australia since 2001 but travels widely.
