Can you tell us a little about the books you wrote?
The subject matter of my first novel, ‘Ailani’, depicts the predicament of untouchability, oppression, abuse, and harassment faced by the Dalit community in Nepal. It draws attention to how little the government has accomplished. In Nepali, the word ‘ailani’ denotes ownership by no one. I sought to use the Badi community to represent the title metaphorically. The word ‘aithan’ means agony. It reflects painful experiences in the world and the sense of convulsions during a war. What are your techniques and strategy for writing a novel? My short stories inspired me to write a novel. The manuscript of my unpublished stories led me to publish ‘Aithan’. While writing a book, I put a lot of emphasis on developing characters through metaphors and images. To construct characters, I assemble various people’s personalities. I deeply examine the character’s viewpoints, and their way of thinking, and try to show that in the plot. I try to dive into the character’s emotions to understand the way they speak and think. I enjoy reading books with strong emotional themes. Additionally, the techniques that are most important to me are the delivery, coordination, and style of the plot, characters, and images. I carefully work on synchronizing rhythm and tone in the plot. Many authors draw inspiration from other writers and literature. Who inspires you? My brother, Sushil Ojha, has always been my inspiration from the very beginning when it comes to writing. Also, I enjoy reading the works of authors like Saru Bhakta, Amar Neupane, Narayan Dhakal, Dha Cha Gotame (Dhanush Chandra Gautam), Naba Raj Lamsal, Haruki Murakami, and many more. All these authors have influenced my writing style and motivated me to tell stories that matter to me. Do you think Nepali literature has a bright future? The future looks promising. But I believe it would be even better if the writings of Nepali authors were promoted through translation. I think Nepali literature has greater opportunities both economically and artistically if we can solely focus on the audience of our neighboring nations. Practically speaking, in the present context, that’s going to be quite challenging. But something must be worked out to make that possible. What advice do you have for aspiring novelists? Be sincere about what you write. To help yourself write better, try to grasp some fresh ideas by reading a reference book. Never let publishing houses that say no to publishing your book demotivate you since mistakes help you get better. If you receive criticism, try not to get upset about it but learn from it instead. Ojha’s Picks: Madhabi by Madan Mani Dixit Madhabi is a Nepali mythological novel published in 1983 by Sajha Prakashan. The book won the Madan Puraskar in the same year. Samaya Trasadi by Saru Bhakta Saru Bhakta is the pen name of Bhakta Raj Shrestha, a celebrated Nepali novelist, poet, and winner of Madan Puraskar. Samaya Trasadi is a work of non-fiction published in 2022. Ghamka Pailaharu by Dha Cha Gotame Ghamka Pailaharu is a novel that depicts the day-to-day life of people in a nameless town (similar to Birgunj) in the Tarai region of Nepal.
