Rabi Thapa\'s Nothing to Declare’ | The Buzz | Book

ELIPHA PRADHANANGA

Tell us about your book
Basically, it is a collection of short stories which are based more or less in and around Kathmandu. The theme is the collective experience of middle class youth in Kathmandu.

Are they all based on your personal experience?
It's a mix of experience and imagination. Some of them are true and some are made up. Many of the people I know may think they resemble a certain character, which may be true or not.

How long did it take for you to complete the book?
Since it's my first collection, it took a lot longer than I thought it would. I started writing my first story back in 2004 but it was only in 2007 that I really speeded up and completed most of the stories. So, I'll have to say the journey from start to finish took me almost eight years.

So, does this mean we'll have to wait another seven years to read your next book?
I don't think so. My writing has become faster and since I am freelancing now, I have more time. Also, I have been working on a novel since 2001. If everything works out fine, I believe my next book will be out in two to three years.

What were the major challenges that you faced?
The first challenge was finding the time to write. If you have a 9 to 5 job, you either have to wake up early in the morning or work late at night which honestly, I am not very good at doing. So, for me going freelance was the best option. Finding a publisher was another challenge even more so than completing the book.

How has the response been so far?
Generally, it is good. There are always a couple of people who are going to criticize you but you have to take it in your stride. Overall, the response has been very encouraging.

Your view on current Nepali-English writing scenario.
The standard is fairly low. The quality of some of the papers is horrendous. I think the problem is the state of English education. Most people still study in Nepali medium schools and those who do in English, their level is not up to the mark either. Also, we lack efficient editors. When Manjushree Thapa and Samrat Upadhyay's books were published, many hoped that there would be a drastic improvement in Nepali-English. But sadly, things haven't progressed much.

Do you have a particular writing space?
I don't. When I came back here in 2007, I moved back to my room in my parents' house. There I used to force myself to sit on my chair and write. Since then I have moved like 3 times so I really don't have a specific writing space. Although, I have a study in my apartment, I rarely use it. Most of the time I am on my bed, writing.

Any other passion besides writing
Like every other Nepali guy, I like to play the guitar and listen to music. As a young kid, I actually thought I would become a rock star. Another passion that I can't manage time for is trekking.

Any pointers on how to write better English?
Read, read, and read! If you can tell the difference between good and bad literature, then you have moved one step further towards writing better.

I declare!

Paavan Mathema

If I have to say only one thing about Rabi Thapa's debut Nothing to Declare, I'd say that anyone of us could have written it.

An embarrassed adolescent runs too far for his mama to catch him in his bartamanda; a young man dreaming of a girl, finds room for his desires in another; one flies away to his London dreams, while others return to relive the nostalgia and to the unfamiliarity of the place they once called home. The protagonists, middle class boys and men (oh yea, all men!), live under the shadow of expectations from their families or society, but in the end, like us, give in to their desire, lust and rage. Yes, anyone of us could have written about them, for while Rabi writes 16 different stories, each of them are pieces from our lives, and our Kathmandu.

If you have ever lived in Kathmandu, you will effortlessly recognize the streets his characters tread on, the bars where drinks flow freely and breathe in the smoke of weed, and the underlining sentiments in their conversations. The title story deals with the mass dream of studying abroad, and finding a home away from home. As you progress through the almost 200-paged book, the characters mature, as do the plots and perhaps they were sorted in that order deliberately.

From the stories of everyday, Rabi transcends to more serious issues, like in Home for Dashain where a policeman returns home, only to be brutally slaughtered by the rebels. "These grinning idiots are, I have to conclude, part of a rent-a-hoodlum syndicate," the lead in Julus echoes the perception of the commoner when rallies and strikes burn Kathmandu, before gearing up to charge on the protestors, an urge that I've often battled with. Valley of Tears shines in the end, illustrating a time when the capital returns to its past, to be the lake that it once was.

To say the least, Nothing to Declare is a worthy debut of a Nepali writer in English. Rabi has the kind of laid back style that keeps you turning the pages, even when the story itself does not captivate. He does not try to cash in on the stereotyped image of Nepal, like most Nepali writers do, but keeps his stories quintessentially 'Nepali' with an honest narration that tracks on the cultural and social points we know so well. The conversations stay colloquial, with an occasional machikne and mujhi, scattered around for the homely feel.

However, it is hard to say if the book will equally appeal to an international audience that cannot expertly navigate the streets of Kathmandu or identify with our experiences. That said, if Nothing to Declare is a preview of what's to come, I will keep an empty space in my bookshelf for the next by Rabi Thapa.