Hopeful Literary Scenes

When readers in Nepal talk about Nepali writers writing in English, Samrat Upadhyay and Manjushree Thapa naturally come to everyone’s mind. It must have been three decades or so since Samrat Upadhyay’s first book was published in the US. Recently, he launched his seventh book and has been seen promoting it in various literary programmes in Kathmandu. For a native Nepali, writing seven books in a non-native language sounds arduous, yet Upadhyay has gracefully accomplished it. Not only has he written books, but he has also claimed various awards and accolades in his writing career.

Although his seventh book, “Dark Motherland,” was released in the US a few months ago, it was launched in Nepal only last week, thanks to the Nepali publishing company Fineprint, which acquired the South Asian rights to publish it. Every time Upadhyay’s books hit the market, The New York Times—unarguably one of the most popular media outlets in the world—publishes a book review, often praising his writing skills and the technicalities associated with it. It’s a matter of pride for every Nepali reader. However, Samrat Upadhyay never seems overwhelmed by his achievements, for there’s never a trace of smugness in his presentation. What’s more fascinating is the fact that he not only writes books but also teaches creative writing at Indiana University in the US.

Being a literature enthusiast and a close observer of Upadhyay’s work, I have always felt that he is not celebrated in Nepal the way he should have been. There were not many interviews available on YouTube either. Now, after the launch of his seventh book, he has appeared in the media and talked about his writing experiences and journey. A person of that calibre is worth listening to, so his appearances in the media will act as an archive for those looking to follow in his footsteps.

The most disappointing thing is that even those who are avid readers of Nepali literature don’t know Upadhyay and others like him. The primary reason behind this is the limited English readership in Nepal. A recently conducted programme called Fineprint Fever was a significant forum where authors and readers met and discussed books. Such programmes are important to narrow the distance between the ones who write and the ones who read.

One notable trend in the Nepali literary spectrum is the growing interest in English books and authors. We can call it a boon of globalisation that books written by an author from one corner of the world can be read anywhere, including in Nepal. With the easy availability of English books across bookshops, the surge in English readership is understandable. Also, Fineprint, a popular Nepali publishing house, has been working hard to spread the charm of Nepali literature to the entire world through translation. 

Seto Dharti, a book written by Amar Neupane that also won the Madan Puraskar, was translated into English and published by Fineprint. Sallipir by Nayan Raj Pandey was another book translated from Nepali into English. These books are now available across the world, and it’s a significant stride in global literature for Nepal and Nepali authors. Even amidst the unrest, there have been plenty of positives in the literary sphere, and it’s important that the publishers, authors, and readers come together to celebrate the power of literature.