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High Tech and Hot PotWhen Stephan Orth lands in China, he knows it’s his last visit, having lied about his job as a journalist to get into the country. So, he makes the most of it, couch-surfing with locals instead of hitting the nearest hotel. Starting in Macau—a former Portuguese colony and now gambler’s paradise—Orth takes on the world’s biggest casino. Next, he visits Shenzhen, a city of the future where millions of sidewalk cameras monitor citizens. As his adventure continues, Orth encounters a bewildering mix of new tech and old traditions. Over a steaming bowl of hot pot, he learns ancient chopstick etiquette from a policewoman who later demos the facial recognition app she could use to detain him. He eats dog meat as a guest of honor one day—and finds himself censored on live TV the next. He even seriously considers joining an outlawed sect. Self-deprecatingly funny, compassionate, and observant, High Tech and Hot Pot is a formidable addition to a well-loved series, and offers a timely travelogue of an enigmatic country poised to become the world’s next superpower.
Foreign Rights enquiries: Sarah Reinbacher, [email protected] “This open-minded, bemused portrait of a history-rich yet futuristic China beguiles.” Kirkus Reviews Behind Putin's CurtainA diamond mine in Yakutia, the village of a dooms-
day cult in Siberia – Stephan Orth, a couchsurfer of more than ten years’ standing, sets out to find the true Russia beyond the news and propaganda. He travels from Moscow via Volgograd to Grosny in the south, from St. Petersburg via Irkutsk and Lake Baikal to Vladivostok in the east. Along the way he bumps into Putin devotees and gun nuts but also plenty of warmth and gorgeous countryside. Moving from couch to couch and host to host, he develops a more complex and personal picture of Russia - and is shocked by the workings of the propaganda machine that presents a different reality to the people there. The first book about Russia without bears and Balalaikas. Winner of ITB BookAward 2018. "Stephan Orth has a lot of nerve. First, he wanders heedlessly across Russia, stopping in places no tourist would dare to go. Then, he gets to know actual Russian people rather than merely sightseeing. Finally, he writes a funny, insightful, mind-bendingly entertaining book about them. I mean, who does this guy think he is? Do yourself a favor: Read this book and find out. Because Stephan is a fabulous tour guide to the real Russia and its people." Lisa Dickey, author of Bears in the Streets: Three Journeys across a Changing Russia Foreign Rights enquiries: Sarah Reinbacher, [email protected] Couchsurfing in Iran - revealing a hidden world
A modern-day glimpse into the surprising reality of life in Iran.
Iran: A destination that is seldom seen by westerners yet often misunderstood. A country that simultaneously “enchants and enrages” those who visit it. A place where leading a double life has become the norm. In Couchsurfing in Iran, award-winning author Stephan Orth spends sixty-two days on the road in this mysterious Islamic republic to provide a revealing, behind-the-scenes look at life in one of the world’s most closed societies. Through the unsurpassed hospitality of twenty-two hosts, he skips the guidebooks and tourist attractions and travels from Persian carpet to bed to cot, covering more than 8,400 kilometers to recount “this world’s hidden doings.” Experiencing daily what he calls the “two Irans” that coexist side by side―the “theocracy, where people mourn their martyrs” in mausoleums, and the “hide-and-seek-ocracy, where people hold secret parties and seek worldly thrills instead of spiritual bliss”―he learns that Iranians have become experts in navigating around their country’s strict laws. Publisher: Greystone Books. "Orth used the internet to launch himself into a fantastical realm that happens to be real." The New York Times |
Photos from the trip for "Behind Putin's Curtain"
Multimedia Story Russia |
Instagram profile |
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Here some of my hosts in Russia introduce themselves - an excerpt from "Couchsurfing in Russia"!
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For more photos and stories from my trips, please follow me on Instagram!
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Couchsurfing in Iran - translationsOfficially, Couchsurfing is forbidden in Iran - at least if you don't register with the local police within 24 hours for each stay. Nevertheless, journalist Stephan Orth travels the country sleeping on the Persian carpets of twenty-two different hosts. Orth's account of Iran offers a unique perspective on a culture typically misunderstood, and a behind-the-scenes look at life traveling in one of the world's most closed societies.
"Couchsurfing in Iran" was in the German bestseller list for 70 weeks and sold more than 180.000 copies, making it one of the most popular travel books of the last years. Translations in English, French, Dutch, Czech and Polish are available, Persian and Finnish versions will be published soon! |
A wonderful book. Reading this book, you'll inevitably fall in love with the hospitable people of Iran |
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Multimedia Story Iran
An excerpt from "Couchsurfing in Iran" with some impressions of book readings and videos from the trip (photo: minaesfandiari.com)
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Book presentation in AmsterdamIn April 2017, I presented my book "Couchsurfing in Iran" at the Goethe Institute in Amsterdam - in this video, you can see some excerpts (Video: Persian Dutch Network).
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