The ritual of drinking tea can connect people to one another and their ancestral past. Author Ann Tashi Slater will talk about the essential role of tea in her Tibetan family’s life—historically, spiritually, and socially. Her great-grandfather owned a Darjeeling tea estate, her grandmother drank butter tea with the Thirteenth Dalai Lama in Lhasa, and generations of her family have forged bonds over tea in their ancestral home in Darjeeling. Slater will share family stories and images related to the power of tea and will read from “Teatime in Darjeeling,” her essay about reconnecting with her Tibetan roots. 

Following Slater’s reading, she will be joined by writer Tenzin Dickie for a conversation and Q&A. Audience members can share their own tea stories and will receive a copy of “Teatime in Darjeeling” to take home.

Tea generously donated by Cusa Tea