1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows cover art

1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows

The story of two lives, one nation, and a century of art under tyranny

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Unlimited access to our all-you-can-listen catalogue of 15K+ audiobooks and podcasts
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows

By: Ai Weiwei
Narrated by: David Shih
Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

A family story and the tale of a nation.

Ai Weiwei - one of the world's most famous artists and activists - weaves a century-long epic tale of China through the story of his own life and that of his father, Ai Qing, the nation's most celebrated poet.

Here, through the sweeping lens of his own and his father's life, Ai Weiwei tells an epic tale of China over the last 100 years, from the Cultural Revolution to the modern-day Chinese Communist Party.

Here is the story of a childhood spent in desolate exile after his father, Ai Qing, once China's most celebrated poet, fell foul of the authorities. Here is his move to America as a young man and his return to China, his rise from unknown to art-world superstar and international rights activist. Here is his extraordinary account of how his work has been shaped by living under a totalitarian regime.

It's the story of a father and a son, of exceptional creativity and passionate belief, and of how two indomitable spirits enabled the world to understand their country.

©2021 Ai Weiwei (P)2021 Penguin Audio 20th Century Art & Literature Artists, Architects & Photographers Asia China Modern

Critic reviews

"Engrossing...a remarkable story." (Sunday Times)

"A story of inherited resilience and self-determination." (Observer)

"A majestic and exquisitely serious masterpiece about his China... One of the great voices of our time." (Andrew Solomon)
All stars
Most relevant
A book that is necessary to read if we are to understand the true China.

Outstanding memoir

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
How lucky we are that Ai Weiwei wanted to let his son be able to know the life story of his father and grandfather. By reading this book we are all in the know of the hardships (to say the least) a country can impose on its people and how they may survive, be it by leaving their country.

Thank you Ai Weiwei, for this necessary story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Thought provoking, informative, descriptive to the point that you taste smell fully sense the experiences… a must read! Only wish I knew more about the author before visiting his art exhibitions in london.

As far as autobiographies goes - this is a masterpiece

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I really enjoyed it because I learned a lot about Ai Weiwei family background and what motivated him to create his art.

Great Memoir

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I started listening with open mind. Very quickly I was captivated by the story telling style and the narrative. Very inspiring book. A small window into the creative process of an great artist.

Very inspiring.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews