The writers and fans edition
For us, writers are the true rock stars. Some words tend to have such an impact on us that we inevitably end up revering the person who wrote it. So we posed what would be the ultimate fantasy scenario to the avid readers’ fan club, if you could have coffee and conversation with any writer, who would you choose? Their reasons ranged from salacious affairs, career advice to national politics and their picks formed quite the eclectic bunch. Read on to find out.
‘Coffee 2 Go Nepal’ brings mobile coffee stall in Kathmandu

Priyanka Chand
I’d love to get a coffee with Simone De Beauvoir. This would be a dream come true. I have had a writer’s crush on her for the last three years now. My English teacher recommended some of her works while we were studying feminism. Even at the moment, I am reading her book ‘The Second Sex’. It’s perhaps the first non-fiction work that has not put me to sleep. I like how witty she is while presenting her philosophies. Further being a feminist myself, I have tons of questions to ask. She was one of the women who broke the glass ceiling for female writers and I bet, I could learn a great deal from her.
However, it is not only her stance on feminism that I am interested in. She lived a rather scandalous life too. I love googling the backgrounds of my favorite writers and De Beuvoir, by far, seems to have lived the most interesting life. Legend has it; she had an open relationship with Jean Paul Satre. We have to remember she lived in the 19th century when controversial practices like this was unimaginable for women, so another thing I am curious about are her views on relationships. A little gossip and an intellectual discussion, what more could one ask for over a nice steaming cuppa?
Sujata Karki
It has to be Chetan Bhagat. I am a student of journalism and I aspire to write works of fiction in Nepali down the line as well so I would really like the opportunity to get his opinions on writing as a career. Since he is a South Asian writer himself and a successful one at that, I can’t think of a better candidate to approach for advices.
I am clearly not the only wannabe writer around. There are many people who believe they are good at the craft and worthy of publication so I would like to know his opinion on what are the qualities you should cultivate if you want to enter this field. Further, I would like to hear about his experience with the publishers, marketers, and in general all the behind the scene processes that goes into bringing out a book.
Like most of his fans, I have always been impressed by Bhagat’s knack of connecting with the younger generations. His books have scenes and characters that we can really relate too so I think it would be fun to talk about how they came about as well. I guess he touched on some of these topics when he had come to Kathmandu for his talk sessions but I didn’t get to attend that. Besides, a one on one chat is what I really want. That would be so much more enjoyable.
Sachet Gurung
Back when I was in school, I vividly remember paying Harka Bahadur Gurung a visit with my father. We walked into his office which was, as expected, covered in rows of books. I remember he was sitting near a heater, with his glasses on, a cigar dangling from his hand. He was the epitome of class. That’s the memory I have of the man and now as I have grown up, read his books, and learnt about his ideologies, I wish I had an opportunity to have a proper sit down with him.
He had traveled Nepal extensively and I bet it would be an amazing experience to hear the stories first hand. It’s apparent through his books like ‘Vignettes of Nepal’ that through his travels he had learned a lot about our country, its people, and culture. But the book isn’t only a record from the social and anthropological point of view, his analysis and perspectives also give it an extra dimension. Also considering the current national state of affairs, I believe this would be a very interesting time to have a chat with Gurung. As a member of the National Planning Commission, I believe he had shared his objection on ethnic division of our country, and apparently he was also in favor for Indian visa and so on. It’d be fascinating to hear his opinions on the matter now.
Pramit Dabadi
If you want to have a riveting discussion with somebody from the field of literature, I believe they need to be Russian. Russian writers just have a way with words. Also the way Russian novels have offered a metaphor for the society and human psychology over the past century is incredibly impressive. Thus I am a big fan of Russian literature. And if I have to choose, from the awe inspiring roster of writers, I’d like to meet up and have a chat with Fyodor Dostoyevsky.
I have read all of this work. Some of my favorites are Possessed (Demons) and The Idiot. Dostoevsky obviously is famous for his superb grasp of psychology and his interest in both philosophical and religious themes. What makes Dostoyevsky one of the all-time great writers probably is his brilliant examinations of human behavior. His cunning insight of human characters and social problems are fascinating. Like for instance, there is this character, Kirillov in Possessed. He considers time to be irrelevant. He argues that time is just an idea, not a concrete object. It has certainly got me intrigued and a chance to discuss these matters would be amazing. Though I have a feeling that the meet will be a little awkward at first, Dostoevsky didn’t exactly have a reputation for being open. He was known to have a rather reserve personality still I’d like to give it a shot, and try and coax him to explore these topics.