KATHMANDU, JANUARY 24
Ram C Khatri, translator of 'The Metamorphosis' in Nepali, has announced launch of his graphic novel 'Justice', which tells about the journey of a girl during the 10-year-long armed struggle.
The novel will be available on 'Kickstarter' which is a funding platform for various innovative and creative projects.
The launch would see a 30-day crowdfunding campaign intended to help gather funds for the publication of Khatri's new work Justice: A Graphic Novel on the Nepali Civil War.
The 120-page graphic novel is divided into three issues, Justice- I, Justice- II and Justice- III. The current Kickstarter campaign is focused on Justice- I.
Synopsis
17-year-old Tara, whose life is thrown into chaos as Maoist rebels and a local police force blinded by hatred follow her, is assured that nowhere is safe for her and her family. Following the abduction of Tara's elder brother by the rebel forces, the family's struggle to find him continues till the end of Justice III. Tara's family is forced to flee from their home while still fighting for their missing family member. Tara returns to her abandoned home a few years later and confronts the trauma and suffering caused by the protracted conflict – known as 'The People's War' – that altered the lives of countless families forever.
"I have been working on this graphic novel to share one of the most unique and underrepresented stories with the world. Kickstarter has a great reputation for supporting diverse storytelling," Khatri said, adding, "so this campaign can also be taken as a pre-order campaign if it hits the funding goal."
Associate Professor at the University of California Tara Sigdel, describes the work as a realistic depiction of a window of Nepal's history. According to Sigdel, Justice is a beautiful tale of an ugly war in Nepal.
In the same vein, American graphic novel writer, editor, and former president of DC Comics Paul Levitz describes the work as an exploration of an exotic land with all too familiar human challenges.
Apart from the author and project manager Khatri, the team involved in this graphic novel creation includes Sandipan Santra, artist and illustrator; Blake Hoena, developmental editor and graphic novel writer; Rachel Slaiman, copy editor; and Shahab Khan as the novel's letterer.
