The Nepali translation of Prajwal Parajuly's popular book, ‘The Land Where I Flee’, was unveiled during a book launch event organised by the publishers Nepalaya on Saturday. Titled ‘Chitralekha Ko Chaurasi’, it is translated by Bibhu Luitel.

‘The Land Where I Flee’ is the author’s second work, following his successful debut with ‘The Gurkha's Daughter’, which was beloved by readers worldwide.

Like his first book, ‘The Land Where I Flee’ features characters whose lives and situations will resonate with Nepali readers. Speaking at the ceremony, Parajuly explained, “This novel is based on the experiences of grandchildren who gather to celebrate their grandmother’s chaurasi (84th birthday ceremony) from all over the world.”

Prajuly, who lives in Sikkim, is known for exploring topics that are often considered taboo in South Asian society—particularly within the Indian subcontinent. His skilful handling of these themes has generated significant interest in his writing.

‘The Land Where I Flee’ was shortlisted for France’s Emile Guimet Prize in 2020. It was also listed as one of the best books of 2013 by newspapers like UK’s ‘The Independent’, US’s ‘The Kansas City Star’ and India’s ‘Hindustan Times.

At the book launch, Kiran Krishna Shrestha from Nepalaya highlighted the importance of translating and writing Nepali stories in English to reach a global audience. He noted that renowned authors like Haruki Murakami and Paulo Coelho gain more recognition through English translations than their native Japanese and Portuguese. Shrestha emphasised, “Without translations, many Europeans, Chinese, Russians, and others would miss out on these authors and their works. That's why we need quality translations of good books.”