KATHMANDU: Writer Sumit Sharma Sameer has come up with his new novel ‘Wake Up Ali…Wake Up Now’.
The novel was launched amid a function held in capital on Friday. According to the novel’s author Sameer, the novel is on a theme of migration in South Asia.
“Migration has been a permanent feature since the advent of human civilization. It got more accelerated during our age. That acceleration brought varied opportunities to mankind but yet dismantled the very fabrics of our lives,” said Sameer. “I had always wanted to write something on this very constructive and destructive process connecting South Asia into one thread that could help produce many other stories,” he said.
Speaking at the launch ceremony, Gagan Thapa, General Secretary of Nepali Congress and a member of parliament, said that he could see through the characters how the whole process of globalization on one hand bring people together and at the other, same time, makes them dysfunctional.
“The protagonist compares his life with the life of an ant, he struggles to find his place, his identity in the larger cosmic design. There is an ongoing conflict between the material world and spiritual thought process. It is a powerful book,” said Thapa.
Celebrated Nepali author, Buddhisagar said that the novel is not merely about migration, but rather has a deep philosophical meaning. “Ali’s (protagonist) internal journey, self-exploration and realization are three highlights of books which is evenly mixed in a whole story,” he said. “The book can be finished in one seating and overall I really liked the book.”
Saguna Shah, author & founder of bOOkahOlics, said the novel explores the human psychic by exploring the constraints of relationships and desires. “The content is far and beyond the concerns of migrant workers their status quo and their struggle in a foreign land, but also an internal journey of a protagonist. The book is about an awakening of the protagonist,” she said.
Felicity Volk, Australian ambassador to Nepal, said that she was struck by the depiction of the migrant story in the novel. “This is a migrant story from South Asia. But this is also a universal story, story of each one of us. Each one of us is traveller in our own struggle,” said Volk, who is also a writer.
Speaking on the occasion, author and columnist Atul K Thakur said that the novel is a pure piece of literary fiction with beautiful prose and narrative.
The book, published earlier in Nepali under the title ‘Prawas’, was translated by Sushrut Acharya in English. The English version, ‘Wake Up Ali…Wake Up Now,’ was published by Delhi-based Vitasta Publishing.
