Bhupal Rai is a Nepali poet, lyricist, and the chancellor of the Nepal Academy. He began his journey in writing more than two decades ago. Some of his notable works are ‘Yaari’, ‘Dajai! Kavita Gaumai Chha’, ‘Simanta Soundarya’, ‘Bhumigat Prashna Haru’, ‘Pahilo Haraf Sirbandi’ and ‘Aago le Janmotsav Manaudaina’. Anushka Nepal from ApEx talked to Rai about his experience as a writer. You have been a writer for a long time. When did it all start? If I think about when I actually started writing, it would be during my school days. I was probably in the eighth or ninth grade. But I began pursuing writing professionally once I came to Kathmandu from Bhojpur, my hometown, after passing grade 10. Back then, coming from a village to Kathmandu was a big deal. It was a city with many opportunities. I was in Kathmandu to continue my studies, but at the same time, I wrote a lot. I mostly wrote poems. It was around 1997 that I published my poem in the news. It was the first work of mine that got published. The title was ‘Aama ko Samjhana’, and it was published in ‘Chhahara Daimashik’, a newspaper that came out every two months. That’s how it all started.

What are your works mostly based on? 

I believe I had two phases during my writing journey. The first one was where I expressed my feelings, experiences, and thoughts through my writing. Most of my work was based on myself and no one else. And that was how I wrote for almost 11 years. Writing, for me, became more like my own method of advocacy. I started writing about societal responsibilities, political, and caste discriminations, and other issues I often saw around me. I have been continuing with that ever since. How would you describe your writing style? I’m mostly into writing poems and lyrics. I think I’m able to be more expressive with poems and lyrics in comparison to other forms of writing. There is no particular way of writing poems. But it must have a particular opinion of a writer expressed in an imaginary way. And that’s what I do. Now and then, I also write essays. I was also a columnist for Kantipur. So I suppose I’m inclined to areas where I find myself the most expressive. Can you run us through your writing process?  I can never get anything done when I just sit down and prepare myself to write something. It needs to come naturally. That usually happens when I’m moved by particular incidents, people, or anything that makes me want to put down my thoughts on writing. When that happens, I already have a certain outline in my head and even words that I will be using in my work. But that doesn’t mean I get it done at once. I edit my work a lot. I rewrite it many times before I feel satisfied with what I’ve written. But I thoroughly enjoy it. What are you currently working on? Currently, I’m the chancellor of the Nepal Academy and because of that I haven’t been able to invest a lot of time in writing. It has been around four months since I last wrote. I will definitely publish more work but that has slowed down a bit due to my other responsibilities. So I’m not working on anything as of now. But I’m thinking of publishing a compilation of the essays that I have written for Kantipur Koseli. Are there any books/authors that have had an influence on your writing style? I have been influenced by the writings I have read since my school days. But I don’t think that has influenced the way I write. I believe no matter how much one reads, their work should always be unique. So I try my best not to bring the writing styles of other authors in my own work. But the books I have read have influenced me on many other levels. They have been huge inspirations. Rai’s favorite book  Aama by Maxim Gorky ‘Aama’ is a Nepali translation of a book called ‘Mother’ by Maxim Gorky, written in 1906 about revolutionary factory workers. It was first published, in English, in Appleton’s Magazine in 1906, then in Russian in 1907.