Books that are popular among readers

By Avaya Shrestha,Kathmandu, Feb. 3: A few books published recently in Nepali language  have, of late,  hit the local market. Shunya Ko Mulya (The Price of Zero), a non-fiction by Karnali- based pediatrician Navaraj KC, is one of them.  It has created a real buzz among intellectuals in the capital city. Published by Sangrila Books, it narrates  the heart breaking as well as encouraging tales of  down-trodden Karnali people. 'This book is the bestseller from Sangrila Books now,' editor of Sangrila Books Anbika Giri said.

Arko Bhor (The Next Morning), an anthology of short stories by Keshav Raj Gyawali, Mera Soviet Samjhanaharu (My Memories of Soviet Union), a memoir book by Ram Bindu Shrestha and Sanesh (The Message), an anthology of short stories by Renuka GC have also drawn the attention of the readers. 

According to Ganesh Chitaure of Jagaran Books at Bag Bazaar, the above mentioned books have been the choice of readers. 

Winner of Padmashree Literature Prize in 2078 BS, Arko Bhor consists of 14 short stories of new style and flavours. America based Nepali author Gyawali is an engineer by profession. He has written short stories on gender issues, conflict-hit rural life, poverty and hectic life of Nepalis in America. Among them, Milkhu is one of his best stories in which he depicts the footprint of the conflict that Nepal experienced from 1996 to 2006. 

Laya is a powerful story of relationship between a man and woman. 'Love is like a duet dance. If you do not know the psychology of your co-dancer, it becomes only meaningless exercise,' a woman says to her man dance partner in which we can get the gist of the story. Ram Katha, Tin Barabar Panch, Mask, Blackhole, Bejuban, Pursuit of Happiness are other stories included in the anthology.

“It's an invention of new style in Nepali short stories,” veteran author Narayan Dhakal said about the book at the programme when the book was made public some 

months ago.

Mera Soviet Samjhanaharu by Ram Bindu Shrestha takes us to the last phase of USSR. Shrestha had won scholarship to study engineering in Soviet Union in 1985. Now Nepal based engineer, Shrestha has written his memories in a book published by Nepal Russia Literature Society. His words are so lively that when they read it, the readers feel they are watching  live television broadcast. The narration of life style of Nepali students in Soviet Union is very powerful. It tells how Nepali students in vacation  used to go to Berlin of West Germany and Istanbul of Turkey to bring Montana pants and other goods and sold them in the Russian market. This interesting part of the story tells how Nepali businessmen in Russia made their career in the initial phase.

Shrestha has described his memoirs under 39 headlines in which we can feel his deep affection to the then political system adopted by the then USSR.

Sanesh written by Renuka GC and published by Sikha Books, the book consists of 12 contemporary stories that are based on struggle and life style of hill as well as Terai people. At the book release programme held in the capital recently, critics Rajkumar Baniya and Dr. Gyanu Adhikari commented that the book was one of the very few books of short stories that are worth reading.

GC's famous story "Muduli' is also included in the book which won the  third prize in the Bahrakhari Short Stories Competition, 2078 BS.

'Eklo (The Lonely), a novel by Buddhisagar, is one of the bestsellers,' Pushpa Acharya of Pathya Samagri Kendra, an old bookshop at Ghantaghar, said. According to her, Nabin Prachin's poetry book Pwankh, Shiva Prakash's novel Samabhok, Khitiz Magar's anthology of short stories Bhedi Kambal Ko Pwal and Amrita Pritam Ka Kavita translated in Nepali by poet Rima KC are some other literary books that are attracting the Nepali readers.