Never too late to read good books

Author and translator Sujit Mainali on his favourite books, why he prefers writing over translating, and how reading contributes to one’s growth.

Sujit Mainali is one of the more popular names in Nepal’s literary landscape. Most of Mainali’s works have to do with history, a subject that the author/translator is keenly interested in. His first book, ‘Breaking Nepal’, released in 2017, is a collection of criticisms of foreign scholars’ writings on Nepal. His 2019 book ‘Shilanyas’ (2019) and 2021 book ‘Sati: Itihas Ra Mimamsa’ are both based on Nepal’s history and traditional practices. In 2020, Mainali translated ‘Yuganta: Mahabharat ko Mahamritu’, a Nepali book by Irawati Karve, into English. In this interview with the Post, Mainali talks about his favourite genres and his preference between authoring and translating.