Journalist and musician Peter J Karthak’s new novel—Kathmandruids: Monomyths & Meanymyths—was released amid a function held at the Moksh in Jhamsikhel on Saturday.

The event saw the attendance of Akhilesh Upadhayay, Editor-in-Chief of The Kathmandu Post daily-where Karthak once worked-columnist CK Lal, and literary critic Shekhar Kharel, among others. 

Speaking at the programme, Upadhayay compared Karthak’s new novel with eighteenth-century Irish novelist Laurence Sterne’s most famous novel The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy. “His writing is experimental and has a literary flair. Overall, it’s a fun read. With the new novel, I also got to know Peter dai as a literary writer,” Upadhyay said. 

Before making his foray as a journalist, Karthak was a musician, collaborating with heavyweights of Nepali music in the likes of late Amber Gurung, Nati Kaji, Gopal Yonjan, Aruna Lama, and Narayan Gopal, among others. 

Of late though, Karthak said, he has focussed on his literary endeavours rather than on music.  Speaking at the event, columnist CK Lal, who is a longstanding friend of Karthak, said that Karthak has the “power to make words dance as he came from the music background.” 

“He has the ability to make language more powerful and vibrant and has an absolute control over the language,” Lal said. 

Author Karthak, speaking at the event, pointed out the dearth of good editors even though the literary scene is growing vibrant. “We need more good editors. This is more or less a solitary work. I found no mentor or editor while I was working on this or after I finished the work,” Karthak said. 

Kathmandruids is Karthak’s second novel, following the Sajha Puraskar-winning novel Pratyek Thhaun: Pratyek Manchhe (1978 CE)-which he later translated into English. 

Kathmandruids is the first English novel published by Kathmandu-based Book-Hill Publication.