Presentation of the Italian translation of “SPARKS” by Ian Johnson

*Sparks* tells the story of how clandestine writers, filmmakers and journalists managed to evade China's surveillance apparatus to reveal the truths of the Communist Party regime. Their work illuminates historical famines, purges, ethnic tensions and recent epidemics. Ian Johnson, after nearly a decade spent alongside these dissident historians, traces their journey from the Communist Party's beginnings to their growing influence in today's China. Written with energy and compassion, *Sparks* is a powerful tribute to the power of memory against enforced oblivion.

Pulitzer Prize winner Johnson is a journalist, author, teacher and researcher with thirty-five years of experience in China. He is currently a 2024-2025 fellow at the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, where he is writing a new book on China.