The Cycle Diaries : Latin America in the Tracks of Che Guevara with Julian Sayarer

Armed with a copy of The Motorcyle Diaries, Julian Sayarer set out on his bicycle in a quest to follow the 1952 journey of Ernesto "Che" Guevara through Latin America. From the emptiness of the Argentine Pampa, to the vast Atacama Desert and the mighty Amazon River, the road revealed the story of Guevara himself, and of indigenous Mapuche communities shut inside reserves, lumber wars, copper mines, coca plantations and oil pipelines.

Bringing the Diaries into a new century, we're so excited to be welcoming Julian to the shop and he explores what has changed and what has stayed the same, taking in the history of the Cold War and the colonial conquest that came before it.

Sayarer's journey shows that global politics can never truly be left behind, introducing him to socialist pensioners who have retired outside of the US and the reach of the FBI, and refugees of war trying to treat their trauma with ayahuasca. Meanwhile, meetings with Palestinian diplomats and a distant diaspora offer a reminder of events that are impossible to escape even half a world away.

Our Speaker:

Julian Sayarer is a travel writer and journalist who has travelled extensively by bicycle to produce a roadside view of the world in passing. As well as a record-breaking circumnavigation by bicycle, before his Latin America tour he had also written books cycling through Palestine, China, Türkiye and many other places besides. His books have been recognised with the Stanford Dolman Award and Ondaatje Prize longlist, while his journalism has been featured in Noema Magazine, LRB, Guardian and Financial Times.