<h2>Yogmaya by Neelam Karki Niharika</h2> Neelam Karki Niharika's 2018 Madan Puraskar-winning Yogmaya is a compelling historical fiction on women's rights and freedom of expression. Centred on the figure of pioneer poet and religious leader Yogmaya Neupane, born in 1867 in Bhojpur of eastern Nepal, the novel charts her fight against the autocratic Rana rule of the time. Yogmaya was heavily monitored by the government for her activism and activities, her contributions were censored until the Ranas were overthrown in 1951, even his discontent with the government and the ritual mass suicide, jal samadhi, she and her disciples committed in 1941. Although a fictionalised narrative, Niharika's searing prose explores the themes of sati, child marriage, widowhood, caste- and sex-based discriminations, class struggle from ground-up, with sharp critique of the patriarchy and authoritarianism -- themes that remain pertinent in contemporary times. <img width="264" height="405" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723b7c9c7e80680e0c95c2jpeg.jpg" alt=""/>योगमाया | Yogmaya                                             By Nilam Karki NiharikaSangri~la Books, 2018503 pages,  Rs595 <img width="264" height="405" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723b7d9c7e80680e0c95c3jpeg.jpg" alt=""><h2>Ramite by Jason Kunwar</h2> The world of multi-instrumentalist and ethnomusicology scholar Jason Kunwar's 2020 novel Ramite is a fictional one. Multiple narrators chart a landscape with names not found any map one is familiar with. Uga, Magadi, Kharka, Hitkot ... the list goes on. Yet, these are names, places and cultures that the reader will immediately connect to. The voices of the characters, their mannerisms, the geography of hills and rivers, all create a riveting universe complete with its own languages, cultures and civilisations. Among the contemporary penchant in Nepali literature for experimental writing, Ramite also ushers in graphic storytelling in the novel form. With themes of nationalism, migration, generational conflict weaved into a delicate thread, Ramite is a remarkable tale of making sense of one's world.रमिते | RamiteBy Jason KunwarRed Panda Books, 2021282 pages, Rs850 <h2>Lichhavi Lipi: A Book on Epigraphy by Nayanath Paudel</h2> Lichhavi inscriptions in Nepal are relatively rarer compared to Malla: and people who can read those inscriptions are even rarer. Now, scholar Narayan Paudel takes a step at correcting that with his astounding tome, Lichhavi Lipi. The detailed book starts with a look into the development of script from hieroglyphs to the Phoenician alphabets, the Brahmi abugida, making way to the Lichhavi script. It explains the writing system with diagrams and inscriptions, even noting where they could be found in the country the, giving an authentic basis for research to an aspirant scholar or archivist in the history of Nepal, the Lichhavi period, linguistics and scripts. <img width="264" height="405" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723b7e9c7e80680e0c95c4jpeg.jpg" alt="">लिच्छवि लिपि | Lichhavi Lipi: A Book on EpigraphyBy Nayanath PaudelPublished by Pramila Paudel, 2022686 pages, Rs1200 <img width="264" height="405" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723b7f9c7e80680e0c95c5jpeg.jpg" alt=""><h2>Kalpa-Grantha by Kumar Nagarkoti</h2> Setting a novel precedent in Nepali publishing, Kumar Nagarkoti's voluminous 2021 book Kalpa-Grantha was available only by pre-order and delivered directly to readers. Packaged as a ready-made gift in a sleek bag, the royal-sized book weighing 1.5kg at 800 pages fits snugly inside a box, accompanied by a postcard and a bookmark. More than a novel marketing strategy, this packaging marked Nagarkoti’s 10th anniversary as a writer, and also his 10th book. A prime example of ergodic writing, Kalpa-Grantha is quite literally a collection of dreams and imaginations, where Nagarkoti plays with languages, form and content -- from typographical stories to screenplays, from conceptual narratives to gray -- challenging writing and storytelling themselves. While the print-run now has been discontinued, Kalpa-Grantha was indeed a touch of newness in Nepal's literary scene.कल्प-ग्रन्थ | Kalpa-GranthaBy Kumar NagarkotiBook Hill Publication, 2021800 pages <h2>Pather by Shyam Sah</h2> The second collection of stories by Shyam Sah, Pather, continue his exploration into the depths of marginalisation and rebellious consciousness in Madhes. In the style of a confident social realist, these 11 potent stories portray class struggles, exploitation, gender and caste, writing about the people living on the margins, forgotten by the government and often misrepresented. These stories are political at their core, and his aim is to bring Madhes to the forefront, examine exclusionary politics, the justice system, and inspire more such stories to claim their space in the literature of Nepal. The literal definition of 'pather' is a brick-labourer; as a book, there is also an added layer of nuance to this, which points to inequity in societies, distortion and neglect that has repercussions across generations.  <img width="264" height="405" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723b819c7e80680e0c95c6jpeg.jpg" alt="">पथेर | PatherBy Shyam SahPhoenix Books, 2021194 pages, Rs350 <img width="264" height="405" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723b829c7e80680e0c95c7jpeg.jpg" alt=""><h2>Yambunera by Bina Theeng</h2> Bina Theeng's third book, Yambunera, is a collection of 13 short stories set in and around the Kathmandu Valley, looking into the sense of otherness and displacement in hearts of its inhabitants entangled in the web of structural discrimination based on caste, colour, culture, religion and region. 'Yambu' in Tamang language means Kathmandu, the place where the ruler lives. Theeng's stories and beautiful and clear, written almost economically, about marginalised Indigenous people revolting against oppression and rejection, critiquing the system that refuses to change and politics that finds comfort in wilful blindness.याम्बुनेर | YambuneraBy Bina TheengPhoenix Books, 2020173 pages, Rs300 <h2>Mera Nau Dashak by Surya Bahadur Thapa</h2> Five-time prime minister Surya Bahadur Thapa's life and political career spanned five kings. Born in 1928, Thapa was selected to the national assembly as an independent, and became Chairman of the Advisory Council in 1958. The following year, he was elected to the Upper House, appointed the Minister of Agriculture, Forest and Industry under the newly formed Panchayat system, and drafted King Mahendra's Poush 1 coup speech. During the Maoist insurgency, he initiated talks with the Maoists. After the Second People's Movement, he chaired the second constituent assembly. In his autobiography, Mera Nau Dashak, Thapa's memoir is woven with the political history of modern Nepal, making sense of the possibilities and carving of a sovereign identity. Written by Ganesh Paudel with 310-hours of interviews with Thapa before he died in 2015, the book is as much one man's story as it is a country's biography. <img width="264" height="405" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723b829c7e80680e0c95c8jpeg.jpg" alt="">मेरा नौ दशक | Mera Nau DashakBy Surya Bahadur ThapaBook Hill Publications, 2022470 pages, Rs1500

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Our pick of Nepali books to read over Dasain

<figure><img width="1500" height="1000" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114101124/637209aa9c7e80680e0b5556jpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption></figcaption></figure>A character in Buddhisagar’s bestselling 2010 novel कर्नाली ब्लुज (Karnali Blues) has the habit of adding “हजुरको” (‘hajurko’) at the end of his sentences whenever he speaks. Eventually he runs a teashop which takes its name after the same memorable idiolect: हजुरको चियापसल (‘Hajurko Chiyapasal’). To the reader of Nepali, the nuance clicks immediately – a phrase is used so often that it takes on a character itself. But how does one transpose the same effect into the English medium when translating? Michael Hutt, whose translation of Karnali Blues was published in December by Penguin India to rave reviews, agonised over how to render हजुरको into Nepali, trying to find the perfect turn of phrase without misrepresenting it. “‘For you, sir teashop’ just doesn’t work,” says Hutt, a professor of Nepali and Himalayan studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London. “At first mention, I say something like ‘for you, sir’, so that the semantics will be apparent to an English-language reader, but keep the ‘hajurko’ in the later instances.” Hutt’s other translations of Nepali works include <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=3502" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Laxmi Prasad Devkota’s मुनामदन Muna Madan</a> in 1996 and Lil Bahadur Chhetri’s  बसाईँ Basain (as Mountains Painted with Turmeric) in 2008. <figure><img width="439" height="650" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114101124/637209ad9c7e80680e0b5557jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><figure><img width="350" height="525" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114101124/637209af9c7e80680e0b5558jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Even then, Hutt adds, ‘for you, sir’ may not be the perfect choice, as another reader of Nepali literature may immediately, upon coming across the phrase in the book, quip, “I would have translated that differently.” Nevertheless, Hutt believes that as a translator, he has a serious responsibility to the author and the original text to not distort the intended impact and meaning. For author Buddha Sagar, translation is a joint effort. He says, “The Nepali was mine, but the translation is Michael’s too.” There are no perfect translations of books, and Hutt believes “a sense of compromise must be reached between the original text and the translation”.When <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/regular-columns/On-the-way-up/judiciary-verdict-nepali-english,892" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">translating from the Nepali language into English</a>, says Hutt, there is a character embedded in the Nepali language that speaks to a Nepali speaker or reader but not to English. The levels of politeness and deference between speaker and interlocutor in conversational context, for example, is difficult to take from Nepali and replicate in English because there are not exact counterparts.But taking excessive liberties in the name of ‘capturing the spirit of the text,’ says Hutt, is an act of violence. “If certain aspects of the original language do not come elegantly in translation, one has to accept it,” he says. “The original must not be changed beyond recognition.” One classic challenge, he recalls, was to choose how much Nepali to put into the translation, especially in the cases of nouns for family roles such as father, mother, sister, uncle. Set in far west Nepal, the narrative of Karnali Blues is informed by its society and dialect, and the use of ba, ama, didi and kaka or mama are ubiquitous. This is true for most Nepali writings. Characters often have different words for different family members depending on whether they are from the father’s side or the mother’s.  <figure><img width="1500" height="900" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114101124/637209b09c7e80680e0b5559jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>On top of this, these words do not automatically denote kinship. Many characters are called ama or kaka because they fall in the general category by their age. The effects of these nouns in a text are often impossible to translate into another language, and the meaning may be lost on the reader if they lack a certain familiarity with the culture and society. Quoting Derrida, English language author from Nepal Manjushree Thapa wrote in <a href="http://www.martinchautari.org.np/files/SINHAS-Articles/SINHAS-Vol.4-No.2_Manjushree-Thapa.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a paper in Studies in Nepali History and Society (SINHAS)</a> published in 1999: ‘A translation never succeeds.’  <figure><img width="1000" height="1533" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114101124/637209b39c7e80680e0b555ajpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Coupled with the differences in dialects and syntax, the difficulties when translating are often posed by the intangible aspects particular to languages, such as the tone, the cadence, humour and poetic images. A slight mistranslation can unravel and flatten the entire narrative.Thapa adds, ’[T]here is, in each translator, a persistent desire for such successes, a desire often realised, albeit erratically, unpredictably’. She says this often leads the translator to ‘achieve a certain logic and rhetoric during translation’.In case of Hutt’s translation of Karnali Blues, this may refere, among other choices, to the use of the English ‘sister’, ‘mother’ and ‘father’ in the narration. But their Nepali equivalents are used when the characters refer to each other in quote marks. “Sometimes you have to make these rules for yourself as you go,” he says.Even 22 years ago, Thapa wrote that there can be ‘traces of a desire to show an English-reading audience some uniquely Nepali aspect of the original text,’ as the ‘translator acts as a guide into literary Nepal.’Hutt’s aim is to show that there is a vast body of <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-story-of-books-in-nepal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">creative, literary voices in Nepal</a>, beyond the exotic image of a trekking paradise. “Nepal is spoken for and about by others so much,” he says. “One thing that has always frustrated me since I started reading Nepali is that many foreigners engage with Nepal but never read Nepali or are aware that there are nuanced and complex voices here, which can enhance their understanding of the world and humanity beyond measure.”He is curious to see what the reviewers say of his translation of Karnali Blues. Will they pick up on the universal themes of filial love in a landscape undergoing radical socio-cultural and political changes, or see it as a book translated from a foreign language as-of-yet underrepresented in the global literary scene? Another case in point is Ajit Baral’s English translation of फातसुङ (Faatsung) by Chuden Kabimo. Titled <a href="https://balestier.com/books/literature/song-of-the-soil/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Song of the Soil</a>, the translation was published in October 2021 by the UK-based Balestier Press which specialises in contemporary world literature. “The story of Faatsung is incredibly poignant,” says Baral, who is with FinePrint publishers and brought out the Nepali original. “The novel was acclaimed and loved by readers of Nepali, and I felt that it had to be translated into English.”The plot line of Faatsung focuses on the <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/regular-columns/del-ktm%20/giving-in-to-gorkhaland-darjeeling,951" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Gorkhaland movement</a> in Darjeeling, which Baral felt resonates with Nepal’s armed struggle. In addition, Baral’s idea was not to translate and publish the book in Nepal only. “Many in Nepal who read Nepali always have the option to read the book in its original language,” he says. “My idea was to bring the book to foreign readers as well.” <figure><img width="640" height="982" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114101124/637209b69c7e80680e0b555bjpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>There is an increasing focus on translation in the world at present, adds Baral, and many publishers are now putting out more translated works than before. This is evidenced by the widespread popularity of authors like Haruki Murakami, Elena Ferrante, Olga Tokarczuk, Han Kang and Mieko Kawakami. Speaking in TonguesBut translation itself is not a new craft. The word ‘translate’ comes from Latin translatus ‘carried over, bear across’ and translators have been integral to cultural and intellectual exchanges since The Epic of Gilgamesh was translated four thousand years ago from Sumerian into Akkadian. Many works of Greek philosophers and mathematicians survived in large part due to their Arabic translations. Even in Nepal, Bhanubhakta Acharya’s रामायण Ramayan, which is considered the first Nepali epic, was itself translated from Sanskrit. And while <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/review/20-reviews-in-20-years/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nepali literature is relatively young</a>, there are also writers who are pioneers in social realism, psychological fiction and experimental writings, and have made unique contributions to understanding the human condition. Michael Hutt says a certain section of readership, for example in the UK, is now used to reading books translated from different languages. In addition to Russian, French and Italian, writings from Czech, Korean and Japanese are also gaining readership. “There is an entire range of different languages, and people are engaging with those books as literature,” he says, “And they are being evaluated as literature that strikes our imagination and our emotions.”Nepali stories being translated into English and <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/palpasa-café-translated-in-french,1847" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">published internationally</a> in this scene provides readers with a unique geographical flavour. Says Baral: “This increases the probability of more authentic and local stories from Nepal being published abroad as readers there will be able to find something new in them.”Chuden Kabimo, author of Faatsung, also sees the English translation of his book as a positive addition to literature and emphasises the role of translations as bridges. He says, “In translation, it’s not just the book that is being transmitted, but identities, cultures and history as well. This helps mediate the apparent separation between communities and peoples of different nationalities, and help us understand each other better.”It is like borders coming down, he explains, as the story travels from one person to the next, one country to the next. And since its translation, Song of the Soil has now also been added to the BA English curriculum at the SRM University in Sikkim where, Kabimo believes, the story and culture will now also be passed from one generation to the next. <figure><img width="640" height="975" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114101124/637209b99c7e80680e0b555cjpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>But there is still a long way to go, as linguistic limitations are compounded by systemic challenges. Whether a translation is good or not depends on numerous factors that include the quality of the original text, the translator’s command of both languages and the skills of an editor. All of these are largely dependent upon the state of literature and the studies and practice of translation, which are currently lacking in Nepal.“Language is the first barrier. Our command of English is not perfect,” remarks Baral, “and in many cases the flair that should come from an English-language text has been lacking in our translations.” Sometimes the text reads too much like Nepali, and is jarring. This calls to mind the English translation of Narayan Wagle’s 2005 novel पल्पसा क्याफे Palpasa Café, which was not as well-received as <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=572#.YhAboC2B3-Y" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the original Nepali</a>. Knowing both languages is not enough either. Buddhisagar, whose pen name itself translates as ‘Ocean of Wisdom’ says: “Even Google can translate. Translators should also be writers themselves, they should have a sense of poetry and creativity. They must be up to date with their society and the world.”Additionally, translation is not a one-time thing. Citing <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Joke-Definitive-Version-Milan-Kundera/dp/006099505X" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Milan Kundera’s The Joke</a>, Buddhisagar remarks how it has been translated five different times into English. “Translations need periodic polishing,” he says, “But there is not enough conversation on translating in Nepal at present. Even literature has not been taken that seriously.”There is also a gap between the theoretical approach to translating and the actual practice. “Theory is important for background, surely,” explains Baral, “but we need more hands-on experience on how to translate, and what the different options of translation are. Workshops could be conducted so that writers and translators can meet and work together.”One way to address the limitations is to have a good editor who is equally accomplished in the languages. “A sentence can be translated in many ways,” Baral says, “but to have an editor who can pick out the right one from the mix makes all the difference.”Anurag Basnet, who was previously an editor with Rupa Publications and Penguin Books India in New Delhi, agrees. Himself a translator of Nepali and Hindi books into English, he describes his editorial process as starting with going line-by-line with the translator.“That is where the most fights happen,” he laughs. After that, the editor has to ensure that the text stands independently in English. Basnet believes that literary translation is even more important now, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/review/written-locally-read-globally/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">especially in the context of South Asia</a>, where despite having similar languages, culture and history, we do not talk to each other. “There is a lot of writing happening in the various languages,” he adds, “but there is not as much communication between the languages.”He feels that translating is in a way the best recommendation one can give for a book. As a translator you are trying to convey as precisely as possible the emotion you felt when you read the book, he says, but a big challenge is that translation, while an intense and engaging process, is not yet financially rewarding. “There are almost no supporting mechanisms, either from the government or other sources. This needs to be addressed urgently,” he adds: “It cannot always be a labour of love.”

Ashish Dhakal

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Taking Nepali literature to the world

<img width="1750" height="1299" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161152/636d1efd9c7e80680e0af440jpeg.jpg" alt=""/> The sheer size of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/nagarkoti.kumar" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kumar Nagarkoti</a>’s 'कल्प-ग्रन्थ' (Kalpa-Grantha) is staggering: 777 pages and weighing 1.5kg. This is a boulder of a book. Packaged as a ready-made gift in a sleek bag, the royal-sized book fits snugly inside a box, accompanied by a postcard and a bookmark. More than a novel marketing strategy, this packaging marks Nagarkoti’s 10th anniversary as a writer, and also his 10th book. “The book is a celebration of my journey as an author. So, it had to be special,” said Nagarkoti, sporting his distinctive grey goatee, neck and wrists looped in beads. Brought out by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063761794727" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Book Hill Publications</a> in March, Kalpa-Grantha is an ergodic rarity in the Nepali literary sphere, and marked a radical departure from the standard book designs. There are 68 surreal stories across genres and typographies, even postcards, as Nagarkoti experiments with format, style and structure.  The book was available only by pre-order and delivered directly to readers, another first in Nepali publishing, but the print-run for this edition has now been discontinued. “It was to be a one-time special edition,” explains publisher Bhupendra Khadka at Book Hill.  <img width="640" height="825" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161152/636d1f009c7e80680e0af441jpeg.jpg" alt=""><img width="1750" height="1367" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161152/636d1f039c7e80680e0af442jpeg.jpg" alt="">Another 2021 book that experiments with language and form to find novel ways of storytelling is <a href="http://www.jasonkunwar.com.np/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jason Kunwar</a>’s ‘रमिते’ (Ramite) published by Red Panda Books. Set in a fictional landscape, it is the first in a planned cycle of four closely related multimedia projects, which include music, live performance, art installation and film. Kunwar’s <a href="http://www.ramite.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">polyphonic novel</a> is composed of text, drawings, songs and poetry reflecting his experience as a multi-instrumentalist and ethnomusicologist. Soon to be translated into English, it is a story of civilisation and human instinct, set in an imagined world resembling Nepal’s mountains, valleys, rivers. But what sets it apart is not the treatment of social realism, but the unconventional layout used to enhance content, and impact on readers.    Unconventionality is largely dictated by what the norm is. When the majority of published work follows an established format, books like Kalpa-Grantha and Ramite use shock value to stand out.    This was most likely also the case 119 years ago when hand copied manuscripts of Girish Ballabh Joshi’s <a href="https://archive.himalkhabar.com/121513" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bir Charitra</a> used to be passed around among eager royal readers. This was the earliest Nepali novel, and in 1903 was far ahead of its time with elements of fantasy, even foretelling the genre-bending contemporary fiction of today.   “In early Nepali publishing history there are books that stand out, they tend to be religious ones with elaborate designs, colourful texts, woodblock prints, photographs and reproductions of paintings,” says archivist Deepak Aryal at Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya.    <img width="3024" height="4032" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161152/636d1f079c7e80680e0af443jpeg.jpg" alt=""><img width="4032" height="3024" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161152/636d1f0b9c7e80680e0af444jpeg.jpg" alt=""> The earliest book printed in the Nepali language is actually a translation in Darjeeling of the Bible in 1821. Later, the Ramayan and Mahabharat were printed with pictures of deities and depictions of key scenes, and they brought the reader’s imagination to life. Some early prints of Bhanubhakta Acharya’s Ramayan did not have line breaks and space between words because these were part of the oral tradition, and were meant to be read aloud. Diverse typography, illustrations and design elements have always been used in Nepali literature to tell a story, and make books more engaging to readers. Nagarkoti’s use of hand-written comments by the editors on the margins of text in Kalpa-Grantha therefore follows a long tradition of innovation, coupled with the advances in publishing.   Such ‘conceptual stories’ are not trying to confuse us with gimmicks, but get readers to visualise the two sides of writing – the author’s and the editor’s – and imagine a collaborative process without being diegetic. Sindhiya Shrestha, a Nagarkoti fan, describes the process as trying to connect with the author. “It’s a touch of newness,” she says. As Nagarkoti pointed out in an interview, stories are not limited to the written word. “Reading is like dreaming, fuelled by imagination, and comes in many different forms,” he said. “The book is a composition, and reading is an experience.”

nepali-books

Our pick of Nepali books to read over Dasain

Taking Nepali literature to the world

The story of books in Nepal

Maya Thakuri: Writing between the lines