Book Rap: Chen Guangcheng "The Barefoot Lawyer: A Blind Man's Fight for Justice and Freedom in China"

Chen Guangcheng will discuss and sign copies of his memoir “The Barefoot Lawyer: A Blind Man’s Fight for Justice and Freedom in China.”

The event includes an author discussion, Q&A from the audience, and book signing. Tickets are $5 for NPC members; $10 public. This event is a fundraiser for the nonprofit NPC Journalism Institute.

After years of being under house arrest, Chinese political activist Chen Guangcheng - a blind, self-taught lawyer -climbed over the wall of his heavily guarded home and escaped. Days later, he turned up at the American embassy in Beijing, and after a round of high-level negotiations, he left China and began a new life in the United States.

About the Author
Chen Guangcheng, known to many as "the barefoot lawyer," was born in the village of Dongshigu in 1971. Blind since infancy, illiterate until his late teens, he nonetheless taught himself law and became an advocate for those who had no voice. His escape from house arrest in China made international headlines, as did his flight to the American embassy in Beijing. In 2012 he became a student at New York University Law School; since 2013 he has been a senior research fellow at Catholic University, the Witherspoon Institute, and the Lantos Foundation. He now lives with his wife and two children in the Washington, D.C. area.

No outside books or memorabilia permitted. Books must be purchased through the National Press Club. All sales are final; no refunds will be issued.