FIFTH COLUMN

Intoxication

By C K Lal

Literary encounters with creative writers of English are still a rarity in the city. I had attended one about a year ago in June, when Mani Dixit talked about his novel Conflict in the Himalayas at The Rum Doodle.

However, discussions at that gathering turned towards mundane. The complain about poor quality of book-reviews in Nepal was raised, with pointed glances in my direction. Nepali publishers were blamed, by writers who also get published abroad, of not making enough efforts in marketing their books But the book, its author, as well as all the rest of us, were drowned under the generous hospitality of Mr. Tek Chandra Pokharel, the innovative entrepreneur behind the bar of the Newsweek fame.

The Literary Evening that The British Council had organized with Romesh Gunesekera, a famous Sri Lankan-English author of such celebrated books as The Monkfish Moon, Reef, and The Sandglass, turned out to be a completely different experience.

In a pleasant encounter last Tuesday, the writer introduced his books, read from them, and interacted with the participants about issues as diverse as approach to writing, characters and situations in his books, writing and life, and even relationships of work and travel with writing. It was a programme that satisfied and room-full of select writes and critics present there.

Romesh is a bundle of energy. He read vigorously, talked passionately, fielded questions spiritedly, smiled incessantly all the while, and signed his books patiently at the end of about two hours long programme. Being a successful writer is apparently not an easy job, it involves much more than mere writing.

Books have to be read to appreciate them, they can never be described fully by another reader. Despite that, if I may be allowed to share my impressions, I think Romesh captures the perplexity of Sri Lankan Upper Class with intense empathy, and portrays their dilemma as expatriates in Britain with deep understanding.

He was born in Sri Lanka and has lived in Britain for more than half his life. That enables him to be completely at home in both the surroundings and he displays an insight available only to an insider. Central Department of English of Tribhuvan University has included him as the only author from Sri Lanka for their Contemporary South Asian Studies. That should lure book-sellers into making his works more widely available in the market.

I think I have been charitable enough to Romesh, and deserve to be allowed the indulgence of being even more charitable towards myself. Setting aside modesty for a while, permit me to proclaim that I was elated when I was asked to chair the session that evening! It was an intoxication that will see me through for quite a while.

On that happy note, Seasons’ Greetings. And wish you all a Very Happy and Prosperous New Year, 2057 of the Vikram Era.