I’m the Voice of My Characters
Maya Thakuri is a well-respected name of contemporary Nepali writing. Born in 1946, Thakuri spent her childhood in Shillong of India and made her debut in writing in the sixties, while her first book-size publication, a collection of short stories got published from Kathmandu in 1973. Since then, she has continued writing, earning for herself great acclaims from readers. Her stories have also been translated into English, her latest translated anthology being Of a Lesser God. Presently, Thakuri is a member of the Academic Council of the Nepal Academy and heads its Department of Prose and Fictions. She has also published extensively for children. Presented herewith is the edited excerpt of an interview Uday Adhikari of The Gorkha Times had with Thakuri.
What inspired you to enter the field of literature?
The Gorkha community living in the north-eastern parts of India, where I spent my childhood, had established schools, temples, sports, and music clubs on their own initiatives. There were also literary organizations that worked for the promotion and dissemination of Nepali language and literature. The community had left no stone unturned to preserve and promote traditions and cultures they had inherited from their forefathers in Nepal. My mother like a true ‘Hindu nari’ performed all Hindu rites and rituals very religiously.
When I was still quite young, I also had the opportunity to watch operas and dramas based on mythical stories of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. I still remember with joy the times when I took part in festivals such as Tij and Tihar. Such kinds of social, religious, and cultural matrixes enabled the entire community to come under one umbrella.
Whenever my grandmother and other relatives visited us at Shillong from the far-western side of Nepal, they would invariably entertain us with folklores and traditional songs that were popular in those parts of Nepal.
I recorded both modern and folk Nepali songs in the All India Radio’s, Uttaranchal Anusthan that was run by none other than Prof. Lil Bahadur Chettri, author of the famous novel Basai. I got that incredible opportunity to work with him, and I very much cherished those moments in my heart.
So, it was the matrixes of society, culture, language, and religion that motivated me to jot down the things that came to my mind.
You started writing when you were in the northeastern part of India and now you are residing in Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal. How difficult was the journey from India to Nepal?
The foundation of my literary writing was laid in Shillong where I had first ventured to write my fiction and poems. It was in Nepali Sangit Kalaa Samiti (Nepalese Music and Art Committee Shillong where I had the opportunity to practice Nepali songs and plays.
The financial condition of my family never allowed me to join school and pursue my studies but it was my friends, well-wishers, and the society that played a very pivotal role in the making of me to what I am today. I am very grateful to my respected seniors Late D. R. Subba, Late Krishna Prasad Gewali, Late K. B. Gurung, Late Gopi Narayan Pradhan, Late Haris Bagdas, Late Padma Sunar, and C. K. Rasaili to name a few. They were of great help to me when I was a novice in the field and was struggling. I’m also very grateful to Sir Satish who volunteered to tutor me a financially handicapped girl, free of cost and helped me in my preparation for the Metric (High School) examination. Thank God, I scraped through the SLC exam in the third division.
Later, it was Late Hari Bhakta Katuwal who was instrumental in getting Najureko Jodi, my first anthology, published with Ratna Pustak Bhandar. Tears of joy welled up in my eyes when I got the book in my hand for the first time.
After my coming to Nepal in the year 1975, I worked as a teacher at Trishuli Tribhuwan Higher Secondary School and also wrote fiction for magazines like Gorkhapatra’s “Saniwasriya” (Saturday Special) Madhupark and others. I also recorded Nepali bhajans, folk songs, and modern songs in Radio Nepal. In Nepal, I found a wider canvass to paint my feelings as a fiction writer.
I have heard enough about your struggle in the initial phase of your life. I wonder how you emerged as a writer. Will you share with our readers about the hardships you went through?
I started doing manual works at people’s houses from the very early age of my life. But my desire and passion to study kept me in a very close contact with schoolbooks I got from good-hearted neighbors and well-wishers. I carried on with my studies without ever going to school. But I took the help of some self-help books. Then it was Sir Satish who came in the picture and volunteered to help me in my preparation for the high school examination. After passing high school, I learned typewriting. Then, very, fortunately, I got a job as a typist in a government office that helped me to pursue my studies further. I joined Lady Kean College, Shillong, Meghalaya, and cleared a pre-university level course. Then I did my bachelor’s degree in Political Science.
There are many genres but you seem to be stuck in short story writing only. What fascinates you in it?
When I was a child I behaved very roughly and would pull hair if they were women and would spit on their faces if they were men who passed insulting remarks against me. But as I grew to adulthood and was in a position to understand the hardships meted out to my mother by my father and the society, I tried to express my deep indignation through my writings.
I cannot open my life like an open book before my readers. I have kept folded certain pages of my life-book to keep some facts away from the curious eyes of the public. Certain facts may not be of much relevance to the current circumstances.
In the initial phase of my literary life, I dabbled also in other genres of literature as well besides writing fiction. But, with the passing of time, I found it easier to express all my experiences through the medium of short stories.
Most of the characters I have portrayed in my stories are those that relate to the persons I have met within my life. They were the ones who were either good, adorable, selfless or selfish, jealous, cruel or hypocritical, or were rapists and so on. I find it easier to write stories when I place myself at the central stage of the plot.
You have been writing for a while. I assume you enjoy reading the works of many writers from here and abroad.
There are many writers from Nepal and abroad who have influenced me. The list is very long. Parijat, B.P. Koirala, Indra Bahadur Rai, Ramesh Bikal, Greta Rana, Manu Bajraki, Padmavati Singh, Bhagirathi Shrestha, and many other old and new upcoming Nepali writers are some of them. Similarly, I also like Amrita Pritam, Monto, Maya Angelou, Kamala Das, Tagore, Amy Tan, Jhumpa Lahiri, and others.
Your talent as a singer is well-noticed but now your writer persona overshadows this prominent singer in you. Will you share stories about your musical journey with our readers?
During my time in India, I used to write and sing songs. My songs were aired at All India Radio as well. Similarly, after I came to Nepal, I used to sing at Radio Nepal. I have sung and recorded songs written by Haribhakta Katuwal and D.R. Subba, composed by C.K. Rasaili. I have also sung and recorded a lullaby at Radio Nepal. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find that song and many of my other songs that were once played at Radio Nepal.
Around the year 1978, I had some problems with my throat and I was not able to sing at all. I often visited Dr. Jisnu Rijal who had his clinic at Bagbazar in Kathmandu. After his treatment that lasted for about two years, my condition improved. However, my throat was not completely healed and my singing career took a back seat.
Hari Bhakta Katuwal, a great poet and lyricist, is a kind of legend among the Nepali readers, both in India or Nepal. It is interesting to know that he became a catalyst in shaping your literary career. Will you share with our readers a few words about him?
This world is full of good people, who are kind and selfless. I also met many of such people in my lifetime, among which, Hari Bhakta Katuwal Dai is one. I used called him ‘Dai’, as I saw in him a brother. He was a great poet and lyricist of his time. He is the one who collected my stories and brought them to Nepal and got them published. My first book (a collection of short stories) Najureko Jodi was published from Ratna Books, and it was he who coordinated the deal. I will forever remain grateful to Dai for it. It was because of him that I took my writing career seriously and continued writing. Dai is popular not only in Nepal but also among Nepali writers in India.
You have written many stories for children. How challenging is it to write for young readers? We talk of Alice in Wonderland and Harry Potter quite often. Where does Nepalese children’s literature stand?
There are very few books that I have written for children. And it is wonderful to hear people say they grew up reading my books and now their children too are reading the same. This makes me very happy. However, I find writing for children more difficult than writing for adults. There are so many things to be considered while writing for children and it is not at all easy saying all I want to in very few and simple words. Getting into the mind of a child and understanding the child’s psychology is very important to be a children’s writer.
From what I understand, the current children’s literature scenario in Nepal is very exciting and promising. There are so many children’s books, especially picture books in the market that are of very good quality. The government of Nepal is also paying special attention to this field. There is also a lot of translation work of children’s literature going on. The books are being translated not only into English but into many languages of Nepal. There is, of course, a lot more to do but there is definitely a gradual change happening and it is for good.
In your stories, we often find the bitter realities of our daily life and a lot of compromises. You seem to be supportive of the existing society and are in no haste of changing it. In the story, “My Husband’s Second Marriage,” the family members accept the suggestions of an astrologer without any question. In another story “A woman Who Is Roasting Corn,” a sick woman dampened by her husband finds her in affairs with a daily worker, very junior in age, and the tragedy is she can’t give sexual satisfaction to the young worker with her paralyzed body. When the relationship is questioned, the woman, the main character of the story who runs her life by selling roasted corns, easily tells the narrator that sometimes, a man may naturally go out to fulfill his physical desire. I wonder how you find such real-like characters for your stories. Will you tell us about your writing process and the selection of such representative characters from our society?
If a subject matter strikes me, I start weaving a story in my mind. I work on the plot and the characters for days before I write them down. Even after writing a story, I rewrite it many times. This can go on for months. Sometimes there have been cases when I have called the publisher to postpone the publication as I have realized there are certain things that need to be amended and have made last-minute changes in the stories. Maybe that is one of the reasons I only have 7 books published to date. But I am in no hurry. I want to stay as true to my work as possible. I want to give each of my stories my hundred percent.
Literature is for reflecting norms and values and certain socio-cultural facts prevalent in society. And perhaps being a writer, I often look at things more closely and deeply. I try to understand the psychology behind a person’s doing and saying. And I connect that behavior with the society we live in. I am very much a part of the society I am writing about it, and so it makes it easier for me to understand the norms and values that are deeply rooted in us. My characters, settings, and plots have always been about those I have seen/heard around me in the society. My stories are already there in the society. I only recreate them through in my words. I want to be the voice of my characters. Perhaps, that is why my readers often say they can relate themselves with the characters of my stories.