On October 16th, a sharing session titled “May the Road Ahead Be Straight: A Conversation with Author A Lai about His Reading and Writing Experience, along with the New Edition of ‘Clouds and Memories’” took place at Sichuan University’s Jiang’an Library.
‘Clouds and Memories’, written by A Lai in 2018, is a distinguished work that first hit shelves in 2019, published by Beijing October Literature & Arts Publishing House. Since its debut, it has garnered numerous accolades, including the Central Publicity Department’s “Five Ones Project” Award, the China Publishing Government Award, the 2019 “Good Book of China,” and the Beijing Literary and Art Award. As the book approaches its fifth anniversary in 2024, a newly revised edition is being released, featuring an additional postscript titled “Write to Shine.”
During the event, A Lai shared insights into the inspiration behind ‘Clouds and Memories,’ his personal writing standards, and his pursuit of language in literature.
Reflecting on the origins of the book, A Lai recounted, “It was on May 12, 2008, around 2 PM, when that devastating earthquake struck, claiming over 80,000 lives and leaving countless others injured. The day after the quake, I went to Yingxiu Township—not as a writer, but as a ‘regular volunteer.’” In the postscript, he expressed, “I witnessed the most shocking scenes of death and the most despairing moments, but I also saw humanity’s greatest struggles for self-help and the most selfless acts of compassion.”
When discussing his writing standards, A Lai emphasized his desire to convey “certain values and a particular spirit.” He shared that he didn’t start writing this piece until ten years after the disaster in 2018 because he was grappling with finding the right words and often faced feelings of guilt. On the tenth anniversary of the earthquake, “the entire city of Chengdu paused—air raid sirens, car horns, train whistles, and ship horns all sounded.” In that moment, tears streamed down his face as memories from the past decade of disaster relief and reconstruction flooded back. He closed the document he had been working on and opened a new one, officially beginning to write ‘Clouds and Memories.’
A Lai also shared the origin of the handwritten blessing, “May the road ahead be straight,” featured on the cover of the new edition. He explained that in Tibetan culture, it is customary to say this phrase when parting as a way of wishing someone good fortune. He expressed, “When I wrote this, I was hoping that for all the lives struggling in this world and for those who have already departed, their paths ahead would be clear and straightforward.” He also wished for himself, aspiring to do justice to such an important theme. “At least for me, I didn’t take too many detours and achieved my goal. I have some small regrets with each book, but for this one, I can give myself full marks.”
The sharing session was co-organized by several entities, including the Beijing Publishing Group, Beijing October Literature & Arts Publishing House, the Academic Affairs Office of Sichuan University, the School of Literature and Journalism at Sichuan University, the Sichuan University Library, and A Lai’s own studio.
