Unfree Speech

The Threat to Global Democracy and Why We Must Act, Now

By: Joshua Wong, Ai Weiwei - introduction

Narrated by: Dexter Galang

An urgent manifesto for global democracy from Joshua Wong, the 23-year-old phenomenon leading Hong Kong's protests - and Nobel Peace Prize nominee - with an introduction by Ai Weiwei

With global democracy under threat, we must act together to defend out rights: now.

When he was 14, Joshua Wong made history. While the adults stayed silent, Joshua staged the first-ever student protest in Hong Kong to oppose National Education -- and won.

Since then, Joshua has led the Umbrella Movement, founded a political party, and rallied the international community around the anti-extradition bill protests, which have seen 2 million people -- more than a quarter of the population -- take to Hong Kong's streets. His actions have sparked worldwide attention, earned him a Nobel Peace Prize nomination, and landed him in jail twice.

Composed in three parts, Unfree Speech chronicles Joshua's path to activism, collects the letters he wrote as a political prisoner under the Chinese state, and closes with a powerful and urgent call for all of us globally to defend our democratic values.

When we stay silent, no one is safe. When we free our speech, our voice becomes one.

Critic reviews

“If we want freedom, we need to learn from Hong Kong. With values, tactics, and courage, Joshua Wong shows us the way.” —Timothy Snyder, best-selling author of On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century

“Joshua Wong is a brave and inspiring young leader. Together we are one loud voice that cannot be silenced.” —Greta Thunberg

'[Wong's] tenacious dynamism shines through Unfree Speech: a guide to mobilising for democracy and representation in and far beyond Hong Kong.' –Julia Lovell, award-winning author of Maoism

One of the most prominent political activists in the world ... a powerful insight into the turbulence on the city's streets that made world headlines –Rana Mitter, Sunday Times

A call to arms for the Snapchat generation ... This book is a memoir of an extraordinary decade in which Wong went from a nerdy obsession with Marvel comics to a Netflix documentary in which he was characterised as a superhero for democracy. –Tim Adams, The Observer

The Real Deal

Reading this book as an American made me feel like an underachiever. I grew up with so many freedoms that I take for granted. Meanwhile in Hong Kong, a 17 year old kid stands up to the Chinese government and ends up behind bars as a political prisoner, just because he wanted a little bit of freedom for his people.

I look around at my fellow Americans and wonder who among us would have the guts to do what this kid did. He helped start the colored umbrella movement in Hong Kong that has turned into a pro-democracy revolution. He credits his Christian faith for giving him the strength to do these things. What an inspiration he is. What an inspiration his fellows in Hong Kong are, fighting for just a taste of the freedom that we in the west take for granted.

Engaging

I have more insight of what it means to be on the front lines of a democratic movement. I take it for granted that where I was born I can make the choice of who is elected. Thank you Joshua.