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Words of change
‘Morning shows the day’ aptly describes Yubaraj Nayaghare’s journey in literature. Nayaghare, the author of 16 collections of essays and travel memoirs, published his first poem when he was only 10.Samikshya Bhattarai
‘Morning shows the day’ aptly describes Yubaraj Nayaghare’s journey in literature. Nayaghare, the author of 16 collections of essays and travel memoirs, published his first poem when he was only 10. In this conversation with the Post’s Samikshya Bhattarai, Nayaghare, a recipient of the coveted Madan Puraskar, talks about challenges of writing essays as well as the transformation in literature scene over the last two decades. Excerpts:
How did you first start reading and writing?
I believe that talent is inherent; some people discover what they’re good at early on, while others find it later in their lives. In my case, I was invested in reading and writing since my childhood. I used to read books on rental basis—at just one paisa from a nearby stationery store. I read books anywhere and everywhere—even when I was out in the jungle grazing cows. While my brothers spent their little pocket money on leisure, I spent it on books. Writing also came very naturally to me. I was only 10 years old when my first poem was published. Once I started writing, I never really stopped.
You started out with poetry but later switched to prose—essays and travel memoirs—and they became your forte. What invoked the change?
Poems and songs came to me very easily, but with time, I got more drawn towards essays. I think it was the intellectual and philosophical aspect of the genre that attracted me. Even when it doesn’t seem like very creative genre of literature, essays play an important role in preserving the art of language. It is a great way to make a very powerful impact on the society through words. I got into travel memoirs because I am an avid traveler. Travelling is a very important part of life. I started writing travel memoirs to encourage readers to get out of their homes more often.
I try to tell people what’s inside me through my essays and what is out there in the world through my travel memoirs.
What are the challenges of writing prose as opposed to poetry?
Firstly, essay is a very intellectual part of literature. Unlike poetry, essay is not about pouring out your heart and writing down whatever comes into your head. The genre demands continuous effort and rigorous research before you sit down to write. Secondly, essay is like an umbrella that holds a single idea supported by many facts and figures—hence, it’s very important to identify both the idea and the supporting details and to organise them in a systematic way. Essays cannot convey its message adequately until everything falls into place. These are the challenges that daunt writers from pursuing the genre. Because travel memoirs branch out from essays, the challenges are similar. However, finding the time, energy, and resources to travel is a challenge in itself. One must have determination and courage to face the unforeseen obstacles to thrive as a travel writer.
You have been a part of Nepali literature for the last two decades; how has the scene changed during this period?
Literature has taken a huge leap in the last few years in Nepal. There are more books being published and the readership for Nepali literature has increased. Also, the gap between readers and writers has been reduced—thanks to many literary discussions and talks being organised. But along with this, challenges have also increased. Today’s generation wants everything fast and is easily distracted, so writers have to be more creative in finding ways to engage readers.
What for you makes a good writer?
I think, to be a good writer the person should have discipline, patience, and child-like curiosity. They should also be able to get into the depth of a matter and create something that moves the readers. I also believe, to be a good writer, it is very important to be a good reader first. I believe that one should read a 100 books before they write a 100 lines.
What advice do you have for readers?
I am very thankful to the readers as they have always been very encouraging, but would like to request them to read more. Let’s build a culture of gifting books to our close ones. Books make for an inexpensive yet valuable gift. Furthermore, I would like to tell readers to participate in literary discussions as often as possible, as it will help one understand the vision of the writer more and help them select good books.