New Nepal New Voices

Published by Rupa and Co

Editors: Sushma Joshi

and Ajit Baral

Pages: 187

Price: Rs 195

Kuber Chalise

Kathmandu

Published by Rupa and Co, New Nepal New Voices is an anthology of 15 short-stories.

These stories were inspired by the last decade’s change in Nepal, and thus reflect new beginning, claims the editor of the book Sushma Joshi. Though, these stories try to peep into the Nepali psyche, New Nepal New Voices — the title — doesn’t match the stories as they portray the old Nepal, decayed-system and feudal mind-set — all the things of past; most probably done and gone with.

The stories take us on a ride to the Maoist hinterlands, to the states and back to the reality with Heroes and Onions by Sanjeev Uprety.

Not only that from Pravin Adhikari to Manjushree Thapa — these are all nimble writers, especially when it comes to depicting gore and guts.

“There was something vaguely erotic about being stared at by five women, each remarkably alike yet different, and having the carnal corpus, flesh and heaving breath, in warm proximity, putting me in the centre of a ring of fixed attention,” a young writer, who falls in a love with a real estate agent says in The Face of Carolynn Flint. He tries to find some resemblances in women whom he loves but with different faces every time. And he’s true, a person can have different ‘faces’ at different times.

New Nepal New Voices is an excellent example of how Nepali writing in English has become more realistic. From The Face of Carolynn Flint to Heroes and Onions, these

stories deal with the most controversial and contemporary issues head on but without letting readers down. Though written in English these stories have not lost the local flavour.

These are modern snapshots reflected through the consciousness of young Nepali writers.