Rajan Mukarung is a renowned Nepali writer and novelist. He was awarded the Madan Puraskar for ‘Damini Bhir’ in 2012. He is also one of the initiators of ‘Srijanshil Arajakta’ a literary movement to make Nepali literature more inclusive of ethnic identities. Slesha Adhikari from ApEx talks to Mukarung to find out more about his love for writing and literature. What made you want to write and tell stories?  When I was in the fifth grade, I came across a children’s book called ‘Chamkila Rato Tara’. My wish was to be like one of the characters in the book. For someone who was always into writing from a young age, the book was quite influential. After that, I realized I had to do something for myself too, which is when I started jotting down all my emotions to set them free. Writing was my way of expressing and, in time, that way of expression became my career.

Did you always want to become a writer?

None of this was planned, although when I think about it, it was quite obvious that I wanted to be a writer. I started reading voraciously when I was in the ninth grade. Whenever I read books or poems, I always thought about what it would be like to be a published author. I was already into writing, so it seemed like an achievable dream. But my interest was not just limited to that. I also wanted to become a singer and a theater artist. I was involved in the Nepali music industry for a while too. But, after coming to Kathmandu, music sort of took a backseat, and I pursued writing as a career. Where do you get your inspiration?  I’m very observant. So, most of my writings are inspired from what I see in Nepali society. Every individual has his/her own story to tell, and a lot of them are still struggling to make a living. They have their own ups and downs in life and stories that might include war, love, fear and sorrow. Being a diverse country, there are so many languages, caste, culture, and tradition I can draw my inspiration from for a book. I feel like I have been given a platform to bring those hidden stories to the forefront and that inspires me to write. You were awarded the Madan Puraskar for Damini Bhir. How do you feel about it?  Damini Bhir was my way of making people aware about the kind of suffering that still exists in Nepali society, especially for ones who belong to marginalized communities. For many, their struggles are unimaginable. They suffered the most, especially during the civil war, which is briefly explained in the book. I believe their stories deserve to be heard. The whole purpose of the book was to uplift the marginalized community and make people empathize with what the community has had to go through. The main reason for writing Damini Bhir was to give a voice to the voiceless and I’m happy to have achieved that to a certain extent. What books top your list of favorites?  There are a lot of beautifully written Nepali books. Every book has its own uniqueness. But since I’m more into the ones that highlight the changes happening in our society, my first pick would be ‘Aaja ko Marxbad ra Nepali Kranti’ by Ghanashyam Bhusal. It’s a political book, so it might not be for everybody but it’s definitely worth a read. I also really like ‘Understanding the Maoist Movement of Nepal’. It’s a collection of stories during the Maoist insurgency that shed light on some of the facets of Nepal’s internal conflict. Another great read is ‘Maile Dekheko Nepal’ by Harka Gurung. All these books are really good if you want to develop a deeper understanding of why the Nepali society is the way it is and how it functions. What’s your take on the Nepali literary scene? What improvements would you like to see?  With everything going digital, Nepali literature has, for a very long time, been slightly overshadowed. There are many authors with a lot of talent, but they haven’t received much attention. Our society is slowly shifting away from Nepali literature, so we need to work on increasing reader engagement. I also believe writers need to understand what readers are looking for. Most people, in my opinion, want books to tell stories from different corners of Nepal, stories that are usually hidden. I wish for more characters that readers can identify and empathize with. If you think about it, those are the kinds of books that have gained a lot of popularity too. So, we must tell stories that are important, ones that jostle the readers a little. Mukarung’s picks  Aaja ko Marxbad ra Nepali Kranti ‘Aaja ko Marxbad ra Nepali Kranti’ by Ghanashyam Bhusal is a book that relates Nepali revolution and political changes with Marxism. It’s a book for the ones who want to have a better understanding of the second people’s movement in the year 2007. Understanding the Maoist Movement of Nepal This is yet another book that highlights the political shift that Nepal has witnessed during the Maoist insurgency. It’s a collection of writings taken from various sources, providing a wide range of perspectives on the Maoist insurrection to inform readers of the many facets of Nepal's internal conflict. It analyzes and explains the failure of the state to meet the aspirations of a people emerging from an authoritarian regime. Maile Dekheko Nepal ‘Maile Dekheko Nepal’ by Harka Gurung, which reads like a travel memoir, is a book that reflects on culture and tradition of various parts of Nepal, making it an important literature for anyone willing to know more about the Nepali society. Divided into twenty chapters, this book contains travel experiences of Gurung himself and socio-culture characteristics of several districts, especially the ones located in the Himalayan region.