I first met Louisa Kamal at my college, where she was invited as one of the trainers for a News Writing Workshop. Dressed simply, she captivated me with her eloquent command of language. As the minutes stretched into hours, I learned she hailed from the UK but had spent over half her life in Asia, including Thailand, Japan, and Nepal. She taught English literature for many years at government universities in Thailand and Japan.

Two of her books, ‘A Rainbow of Chaos’ (2023) and ‘Rainbows in the Eyes’ (2024), further deepened my admiration for her. A graduate of Manchester University with a degree in literature, Kamal is working on her third book, ‘For Every Storm, A Rainbow’.

In this conversation with the Post’s Sanskriti Pokharel, Kamal discusses her literary journey and books that comfort her during difficult times.

What initially drew you to writing?

Books have been in my home since childhood, and I have a special affinity for literature ever since. I used to sit on my mother’s lap, and she read children’s literature to me. She encouraged me to listen to her reading and then gradually read myself. This marked the beginning of my journey into literature.

As I grew up, I couldn't imagine my life without books. Consequently, I earned my BA in English Language and Literature and an MA in Later Victorian and Edwardian Literature from the University of Manchester.

It’s always been a dream of mine to be a published author, but life and the need to earn money have always gotten in the way. When I came to Nepal in 2020, and the lockdown halted my movement, it was the first time I had time on my hands. I started to write a diary to structure my life.

Once I started writing, the flow became incessant. The diary eventually became my first book, ‘A Rainbow of Chaos’, followed by the second, ‘Rainbows in the Eyes’, not to mention articles on various subjects related to Nepal’s rich culture.

The day is wasted if I don’t develop a few article ideas or write a few thousand words.

As an author and photographer, have you ever found that capturing a scene with your lens helps articulate a written story or vice versa?

Absolutely! Photography enhances my writing process. While I’m not a technical photographer, many say my photographs capture emotions and feelings. My fascination with Nepali festivals and jatras inspires me to document vibrant celebrations.

The crowd during festivals give me no time to make notes, so my photos document the experience. When I revisit them, they enable me to articulate my stories. So, for me, photography and storytelling are intertwined.

Can you discuss any particular literary works that inspired your two books?

Colin Thubron's ‘To a Mountain in Tibet’ and Peter Matthiessen's ‘The Snow Leopard’ were two books that subconsciously influenced me when I polished my books into final forms.

These books have been influential as they push the boundaries of 'travel' writing. Thubron and Matthiessen 'travel' into their souls while journeying to Kailash and Shey (Dolpa), respectively. I admire the sensitivity and richness of their language, which inspired me.

My two books describe my and Nepal’s struggle to come to terms with the lockdown. Therefore, some parts of them describe cultural issues and specific locations. However, at their core, they narrate my emotional and spiritual journey as I gather the courage to start anew in Nepal.

Thubron and Matthiessen helped me embrace a broader perspective, allowing me to introduce new themes in my writing. They also inspired me to think more expansively and not limit my experiences while writing.

Has your reading taste evolved as you’ve lived and worked across different cultures?

Definitely. Living in Manchester with my mother was limiting in some ways, as she was strict. Studying in an all-girls school made my childhood conservative as well. During that time, my interest in literature was traditional, too, and I was drawn to 19th—and 20th-century literature penned by the Bronte sisters, Thomas Hardy, Jane Austen, and others.

When I moved to Japan in September 1989, I was captivated by Haikus. I also won a few competitions with the haikus I composed.

As my life has taken me to different Asian countries, I have subconsciously come to value novels by Indian writers. Nowadays, I feel that the beauty of the language penned by most modern British authors has faded. But I find much taste in Indian writers, like Amitabh Gosh and Arundhati Roy.

In your four-decade-long career across Asia, have any literary works helped you navigate the challenges of adapting to new cultures?

When I feel homesick and stressed, I turn to the books I read as a child, such as Frances Hodgson Burnett’s ‘The Secret Garden’ and Edith Nesbit’s ‘The Railway Children.’

There have been times when I wanted to let everything go, revert to my baseline, and reconnect with my inner child. Those children’s classics have soothed my soul and soled me during those times.

Louisa Kamal’s book recommendations

The Secret Garden

Author: Frances Hodgson Burnett

Publisher: William Heinemann

Year: 1911

This book reminds me of a time before life’s complexities took over. Burnett’s writing comforts me because it connects with my inner child.

To a Mountain in Tibet

Author: Colin Thubron

Publisher: Harper

Year: 2011

Thubron’s book is a journey to Mount Kailash and into the author’s soul. The writing is moving, and it inspired me to visit Mount Kailash.

On Chesil Beach

Author: Ian McEwan

Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group

Year: 2008

It's more of a novella than a novel. The author brilliantly describes the characters and themes, and I discover something new each time I read it.

The Glass Palace

Author: Amitav Ghosh

Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks

Year: 2002

Ghosh’s book is an example of the beautiful literary scene in the Indian subcontinent. Its storytelling is remarkable.

Pride & Prejudice

Author: Jane Austen

Publisher: T Egerton, Whitehall

Year: 1813

This work from Austen stands out as a timeless classic, and its sharp character portrayals make it a favourite of mine.

Gerard Manley Hopkins The Major Works (Oxford World's Classics)

Author: Gerard Manley Hopkins

Publisher: OUP Oxford

Year: 2009

Poetry has been a part of my life since childhood, starting with AA Milne's verses. I wrote my BA dissertation on GM Hopkins.