Writer Narayan Dhakal’s sixth novel, ‘Jagajjanani Uski Aamako Naam Hoina’ was unveiled on Saturday at Publication Nepalaya’s premises in Kalikasthan.

At the event, Dhakal spoke about his five-decade literary journey. He recalled writing a detective novel as a teenager and submitting it to a publisher, only to have it rejected. He added, “After that, I started reading popular writers obsessively—a habit I still have today.”

Dhakal said that his habit of secretly reading books on buses, in toilets, at college, and at home gradually awakened the writer within him. Remembering how his life had been scattered across different genres and movements, he said, “At times, I searched for life’s dreams in the smoke-filled alleys of Jhochhen; at other times, I became a worker of the banned Communist Party.”

He said the ups and downs of his life, including student and teachers’ movements, time in prison, journalism, and serving in parliament, shaped and enriched his writing.

Dhakal interprets literature not merely as pure sentimentality but as a commitment to politics, history, economics, and social questioning. He described ‘Jagajjanani Uski Aamako Naam Hoina’ as his statement of dreams and nightmares against betrayal.

Nepalaya editor Bimal Acharya said that he decided to publish the novel because Dhakal’s manuscript unsettled his mind but purified his heart. “In Dhakal, I found an author who is ruthless toward himself and confident in his writing. I also witnessed in him a strong urge for repeated refinement and a democratic culture of listening to criticism,” he said.

Dhakal has published six novels, seven short story collections, three essay collections, two children’s story collections, and one poetry collection.

The 286-page book is priced at Rs675.