Guyuan: Festival Stories
Author: Moira Laidlaw
Set in the remote town of Guyuan in northwest China, this book follows fifty lives across a single year of festivals.
Through births, deaths, customs, and surprises, it weaves the stories of Hui Muslims and Han neighbours, two cultures living side by side.
An English volunteer teaching in the town becomes a witness to hopes, sorrows, and resilience in a community poor in wealth but rich in spirit.
Guyuan is unforgettable.
Paradoxes
Author: Moira Laidlaw
After five years teaching in one of China’s poorest provinces, Moira stepped into the capital with fresh eyes.
This short travelogue captures three days of wandering Beijing in the early 2000s, where ancient courtyards met glass towers, and contradictions pressed against each other at every turn.
Part memoir, part history, it’s a vivid exploration of culture, place, and the search for meaning in a city both overwhelming and intimate.
Returning
Author: Moira Laidlaw
Some Places Change You Forever
In this evocative tale, a young man visits an imaginary village on the border between East and West Germany—an encounter that reshapes his life. Rooted in personal experience, Returning explores the profound intersection of destiny and consciousness, capturing the lingering weight of history, identity, and belonging.
A story of transformation, memory, and the places that call us home.