Life and Death in Tibet: How One Town Rose Up (Ryerson Democracy Forum)

Bestselling author Barbara Demick describes her journey into Tibet and the odysseys of Tibetans in exile, chronicled in her new book, Eat the Buddha: Life and Death in a Tibetan Town. She will be joined by Bhutila Karpoche, a local activist and North America’s first elected representative of Tibetan descent. Hosted by Toronto Star columnist and Ryerson visiting practitioner Martin Regg Cohn, sponsored by the Faculty of Arts, the event is open to all.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:

Barbara Demick is an award-winning writer and longtime foreign correspondent — first in the Balkans and the Middle East, most recently for the Los Angeles Times based in Beijing and Seoul — and now a frequent contributor to the New Yorker. Her third book, Eat the Buddha: Life and Death in a Tibetan Town was published in July. Her previous book, Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea, was an international bestseller.

Bhutila Karpoche won election as the MPP for Parkdale—High Park in 2018, becoming the first elected representative of Tibetan descent on the continent. A public health researcher (and PhD candidate at Ryerson University), she is the Official Opposition critic for mental health and addictions. Born in Nepal, she previously served on the board of the Canadian Tibetan Association of Ontario.

Martin Regg Cohn is a political columnist for the Toronto Star and former foreign correspondent who reported from Tibet and Dharamsala. A Visiting Practitioner at Ryerson University and founder of the Ryerson Democracy Forum, he is also a Senior Fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy.

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We are committed to hosting an inclusive and accessible event for everyone. Please let us know if you require accommodations. Contact Melissa Wong, melissawong@torontomu.ca (opens in new window)  for more details.