DANG, Sept. 24: Author Lila Sharma ‘Asmita’ has returned to the place where she says her life took a dramatic turn, launching her memoir Yuddha Lade, Cancer Jite (‘Fought the War, Defeated Cancer’) in Ghorahi a few days ago.
Born and raised in Dang, Sharma recalled being drawn into the Maoist Insurgency around three decades ago, when she came to Ghorahi from her hometown of Dhaireni in Deukhuri to attend college.
“I have returned to the same place where my path changed. During this journey, I fought two battles—one against the war and the other against cancer. I have written what I saw and experienced,” she said.
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Sharma said she had kept diaries throughout the conflict and later decided to tell her own story through the book.
“I felt that I should tell my own story myself,” she said.
The 236-page memoir was launched at a program attended by around 200 people at the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) Dang hall. Veteran journalist and writer Narayan Prasad Sharma, 96, was the chief guest.
Sharma, who runs the Naya Yugbodh national daily in Dang, said the book had given him a new sense of understanding and described its publication as evidence of the emergence of a strong writer from Dang.
Critic and poet Amar Giri described the memoir as a compelling and readable account that presents both the darker and brighter sides of the Armed Conflict rather than viewing it from only one perspective.
Sushil Gautam, chairperson of Sarvodaya Library, said the book drew him in so strongly that he had almost finished reading it overnight.
Published by Nepalaya, the book is priced at Rs 575 and will be available at major bookstores across Nepal from Sunday. It can also be purchased worldwide through Thuprai.com and Amazon.
