Novelist Peter J Karthak died on Wednesday morning. He was 77.
He was receiving treatment at Harisiddhi Hospital in Lalitpur for the last two weeks. According to family sources, Karthak died at around 5:30am on Wednesday morning of a heart attack.
Karthak was taken to the hospital on Tuesday after his health deteriorated.
Born in Shillong, India, Karthak completed his studies in Darjeeling. He came to Kathmandu in his early 30s and since then made Nepal his home.
His novel “Pratyek Thaun, Pratyek Manchhe” won the Sajha Puraskar in 1978. It was later translated into English as “Every Place, Every Person”.
Karthak was also an accomplished musician who during his Darjeeling days rubbed shoulders with renowned musicians like Amber Gurung, Sharan Pradhan, Aruna Lama and Jitendra Bardewa.
“In my creative process, I was a musician before a writer,” he told the Post last year.
Karthak called himself a disciple of Amber Gurung.
“I played for Narayan Gopal, Gopal Yonzon, Tara Devi, Shiva Shankar and many more,” he had said. “But, in 1990, I left music totally as in those days, music was very limiting, so I was not growing as an artist.”
He has also written a book on Nepalis musicians—Nepal’s Music Makers.
Karthak was associated for some time with The Kathmandu Post after a stint at The Himalayan Times. He later worked at Republica.
20.12°C Kathmandu
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