Discourse on Lamichhane's 'Akshat Antarctica' held

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Mar. 23: An interaction on the recently published book Akshat Antarctica by Jiba Lamichhane was held at the Himalayan White House College, Kathmandu, on Friday.

At the event, Lamichhane shared the joys, hardships and experiences of his Antarctica journey with the students of the college. Journalist Deepak Sapkota held a discussion with Lamichhane regarding the book.

Lamichhane recounted that the book captures his experiences from his Antarctica expedition, which took place from January 13 to 24, 2024. 

He spoke about the untouched beauty of Antarctica, the long journey to get there and his memories of the frozen world.

“What we used to hear about Antarctica as children filled me with the sense of adventure, curiosity, fear and excitement when I finally went there,” he said. “I had already decided to write a book on it before embarking on my journey. Afterward, I studied numerous books and reference materials before writing the book.”

He quoted Andrew Denton’s words about Antarctica, “If Antarctica were music, it would probably be Mozart. If it were a painting, it would be Michelangelo. If it were literature, it would be Shakespeare. But after going there, I felt that it was something beyond all of them—Antarctica.” Lamichhane said that he shared the same sentiments as Denton.

Dedicated to the explorers of Antarctica, the book also recounts the harrowing tale of the legendary explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, which Lamichhane narrated to the students.

In response to a question by moderator Sapkota, he said, “In 1915, Shackleton set out on an expedition to explore Antarctica. Upon reaching Drake Passage, his ship met with an accident. However, without losing courage, he continued his relentless journey for months in pursuit of Antarctica and eventually rescued his team members.”

Enthusiast students also engaged in a question-answer session with the writer, asking various questions about Antarctica. It is said that Bhuwan Singh Bishwokarma was the first Nepali to visit Antarctica. Before the journey, Lamichhane had met Bishwokarma, which is mentioned in the book.

Published by Fine Prints, the book is priced at Rs. 600.