A teacher by profession, Nagarkoti has had special interest in reading intellectual history and mystic philosophies. This interest in reading eventually led him to writing, and today he has two famed story collections and some more short stories to his credits.[break]
The Week’s Roshani Dhamala met up with Nagarkoti to talk about his journey, interests, and inspirations.
Excerpts from the interview:
Could you tell us something about your writing journey?
I have been into writing for 20 years now. But I identify myself more with a passionate reader than an active writer. So far I have penned 20 stories and “Fossil” is my second story collection published after “Moskshanta: Kathmandu Fever”. I have always had a deep passion for reading and writing. But I rarely went for university classes; they did not appeal me. So I chose to study on my own. I spent a large chunk of years exploring world history, and various religious and intellectual philosophies. It was then I realized that reading and writing had become indispensable parts of my life. There was no looking back after then.
You are known for your impromptu style of writing. Could you talk a bit about your writing habit and style?
Yes, I like to experiment with writing. You will see poetry in my writing. I have portrayed poetry into fiction. I like to call myself a fiction designer more than a writer. I have learnt a lot from the experimental writing techniques of James Joyce, Garcia Marques, and Franz Kafka. I tend to write at night. As I start writing, I just move on with the flow regardless of where it goes. It is the reason why some of my stories are five-pages long while some reach up to 98 pages. That way I celebrate the beauty of writing.
You are also an avid reader. What genres do you read mostly?
I believe that a writer has to read a lot and there should be no demarcations of genres or “isms” when it comes to reading. I try to acquaint myself with a wide range of knowledge domains ranging from world literature, to history, to philosophy, and art forms like paintings and movies. But I am fascinated mostly by western philosophies and eastern myths. Existentialist, absurdist, and nihilist philosophies in particular enthrall me and philosophers like Albert Camus, Nietzsche, Kafka and Sartre are very close to my heart. These historical figures even appear in the characters of my plots.
It is claimed that these existentialist philosophies also permeate your creations. What’s your say on that?
Yes, they do. I usually write about the dark side of human psyche, and themes like death and absurdity fascinate me. In fact, I am pulled towards cremation sites once in a while. And there I realize the momentariness of human life as I see human bodies burn down into ashes. But again, I don’t allow myself to be carried away into absolute darkness by such sites and philosophies. That is where poetry comes as vital, I think. Poetry signifies the beauty of life. Where these philosophies represent the pinnacle of human conscience, poetry embodies the depth of human feeling, love, and compassion. I try to melt these opposing genres in my work. That is the way I try to achieve equilibrium in my work as well as life.
About Nagarkoti’s novel – Fossil
After the grand success of Nagaroti’s critically acclaimed book “Mokshanta: Kathmandu Fever”, “Fossil” is his second undertaking. It is a collection of eight short stories. This collection sets itself apart from Nagarkoti’s earlier works in that the stories, in addition to being surreal, fantasy-based, and experimental – the usual Nagarkoti flavor – are all set in real social settings.
“The foundations of my stories are real geopolitical spaces like Kathmandu or sociocultural issues like discrimination and violence against women,” says Nagaroti who firmly believes that writers have their share of responsibility towards society. Through his book, he aims to create awareness of burning social issues like violence against women, justice and the weak governance structure. By penalizing in his plot the perpetrators of humanitarian crimes like rape and war, he intends to discourage them.
In the collection, though all the eight stories have their roots in sociopolitical scenario of the county, each story is different from the others in terms of subject matter, presentation, and the narration style.
On Nagarkoti’s bookshelf
Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder
I especially refer this book to those who are keen to learn about Western Philosophy. This book is in a way the whole ‘history of ideas.’ But in addition to being knowledge-packed, what makes it more appealing is its mystic form of narration. The way the narrator goes about explaining the toughest of philosophies like existentialism, nihilism, and the history of time to an unsophisticated mind of a girl of 14 makes the book all the more appealing.
Sirishko Ful by Parijat
I love Sakambari more than I have loved any other girl in my life. I strongly endorse that Sirishko Ful is one of the biggest achievements of Nepali literature. I recommend that the book be read in its original Nepali version rather than its English translations. Though critics may vary in their opinions regarding the work, I have, and will continue to have, a special place in my heart for the book.
Keshab Thoker
On the Road by Jack Kerouac
I highly recommend this book to those who love traveling. Personally, I am fond of journeys, though I prefer unplanned expeditions. This book also narrates an unplanned journey of a writer. The work is set around the time of the Beat Generation where the frustrations and depression caused by WWII were creeping into all forms of human experiences. And the story has many allusions to such broader sociopolitical framework, which make it an intense reading.
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
The novel is celebrated for its famous excerpt, “Man can be destroyed, but not defeated.” This line explores the kind of struggles humans have with Mother Nature. But besides this, what pricks me to the bone is the extreme loneliness of the old man depicted in the story. And the recurring motif of deep oceans extended to the eternal vast goes well with, and even accentuates, the sense of the vexing loneliness of the central character. The author has blended every element in the story very well I think.
The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
The novel is about philosophy of life. But what particularly interests me about it is its poetic language. The way its poetic form achieves to convey its hardcore philosophical subject matter is very arresting and intriguing. I am very much impressed by the central character, Almustafa, who is a mystic personality and takes joys in amassing the crowd and articulating his philosophies about life, love, and relationship. Because the book deals with as complex a subject matter as existential philosophy, you may need more than one reading to fully grasp the idea.
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