Acclaimed author Manjushree Thapa launched her latest offering, a novel titled All of Us in our Own Lives, amid a ceremony at the Patan Museum on Wednesday. Sanjit Pradhananga caught up with Thapa for this interview to talk about her new book and the deeply entrenched Nepali society that we are currently living in.

Excerpts:

How have you seen the current-day Nepal as a writer? What are some of the changes you have registered?

This year, following a long absence, I have had the chance to come back to Nepal twice. The first visit was for a conference on the victims of the conflict and was a bit rushed. This time around, my stay has been much more relaxed and has allowed me to soak in a lot more things.

One thing I noticed immediately is how polarised the society currently is. Following the earthquakes, the Madhes protests and the blockade, there is, understandably, a lot of anger.

Your recent interviews, especially in Kantipur daily, seems to have divided opinions. You have both an army of avid fans and legions of detractors. Would you peg that to the highly-polarised times we live in?

I think it is a reflection of the current state of things. When the first Constitutional Assembly was elected, it felt as if we were at the cusp of ushering in a true democracy. But since then there has been a fierce resistance towards the inclusion agenda and the civil rights movement and anyone advocating inclusion is met with a bevy of antagonism. It is indicative how entrenched the society has become.  

Your new book, All of Us in Our Own lives, weaves a tale with international aid as the backdrop. What are some of the motifs you have tackled in this novel?

The book is set in the world of foreign aid, but it’s main theme is the Buddhist notion of interdependence and connectedness. Not just in Nepal but all over the world, the foreign aid sector is highly stratified. This book explores how those in the higher echelons and the lower-end grassroots beneficiaries affect each other. More than just foreign aid, the book speaks to how in the larger society we all make and form each other, even if our paths never actually cross in real life.

Will it be misconstrued as a commentary on the foreign aid economy?

I suppose everything can and will be misinterpreted. That being said, opinion on foreign aid is highly polarised. No system is perfect and the Nepali scenario has its manifold flaws as well. The narrative does draw from the discrepancy between how much aid infrastructure exists and how much actually trickles down to the grassroots, but uses this background to explore how the lives of its characters are interconnected.

Having had worked in the sector yourself, how would you describe Nepal’s foreign regime?

I have worked at the NGO level and briefly as a consultant with the World Bank on a micro-finance programme. It helped me gain an insight into its inner workings—both in the upper echelons in Kathmandu and the villages the aid was intended for.

With its first wave in the 90s, these programmes helped further the agenda of inclusion and equal rights. Currently, there seems to have been a shift towards a development model, with heavy focus on energy and infrastructure. Whether we like it or not, the foreign aid model is here to stay, and it is up to us to find a happy medium instead of oscillating between the two priorities.

You have suggested elsewhere that Tilled Earth, a collection of stories, marked a shift from writing big, boisterous works with many characters to a more quiet and introspective narrative, and that your new book marks a another shift into a new phase.

Before Tilled Earth, I was still experimenting with various forms—trying to find my voice. My writing since then has been far more introspective. I don’t feel that the new book is a departure from that style. Unlike some of my other writings, All of Us in Our Own Lives is more philosophical than it is political and is an introspective exploration of the inner journeys the characters are going through.

This is your seventh book. How are the preparations for the launch going? Does the launch of every new book have the same thrill?

I am a very shy person, painfully so at times. I am not very fond of crowds or strangers, and I have struggled through most of my book launches. I feel book launch soirees are almost opposite of what you do as a writer and almost always get me more panicked than excited.

These book launches have really evolved since your first book in 1992.

Yes, the literature scene has really taken off of late. It was through book launches that I first came into contact with literary circles in Nepal. I do feel that these launches can be very heavy and overbearing at times. I like to, in jest, describe it as a party my publisher throws for my friends—which is why we are trying to keep it as light and entertaining at possible. I will be joined by the poet Ahuti, Subina Shrestha, Weena Pun, Mohna Ansari and Sapana Pradhan Malla at the launch. There will also be a short performance by Circus Kathmandu—formed by children who have been rescued from trafficking.

Is it too early to inquire about your next book?

For the next year or so, I will be translating Indra Bahadur Rai’s Aaja Ramita Cha. I have been meaning to devote time to it and now it looks like I will be able to so in earnest.