You Must Take Part in Revolution: A Graphic Novel
Melissa Chan, Author - Emmy Nominated International Journalist & Human Rights Correspondent
January 22, 2026 | 12:15pm - 1:30pm
SRH 3.122, The LBJ School
On Thursday, January 22, the Asia Policy Program hosted a public book talk with Melissa Chan on her debut novel, “You Must Take Part in Revolution: A Graphic Novel.” It depicts a near-future dystopian story about technology, authoritarian government, and the lengths one will go to fight for freedom.
Melissa Chan is an Emmy-nominated Hong Kong and Taiwanese American foreign correspondent based between Los Angeles and Berlin. She was previously posted in China until she became the first journalist in more than a decade to be expelled by Chinese authorities in 2012. Much of her reporting examines human rights, the rise of global authoritarianism, and the defense of democracies. Her work has taken her from Pyongyang to Moscow to Havana. She has written for The New York Times, where she was nominated for a Loeb Award, and The Atlantic, The Washington Post, The Guardian, and more. As a broadcast correspondent, she has reported for VICE News Tonight and Al Jazeera. Her debut novel was created with global activist artist Badiucao.
“You Must Take Part in Revolution” is set in 2035. The U.S. and China are at war. Taiwan is divided in two. As conflict escalates between nuclear powers, three idealistic youths who first met in Hong Kong develop diverging beliefs about how best to navigate this techno-authoritarian landscape. Andy, Maggie, and Olivia travel different paths toward transformative change, each confronting to what extent they will fight for freedom, and who they will become in doing so.
The Asia Policy Program is a joint effort of the Clements Center for National Security and the Strauss Center for International Security and Law.