Mountain Echoes 2014

Mountain Echoes, a Festival celebrating Literature, Art and Culture in Bhutan began in 2010. The fifth edition of the festival will happen from 22nd to 24th of May this year in Thimphu. Quite strangely I am
speaking at the festival along with people who have achieved so much in life in the field of art and literature. I don't have any significant contribution whatsoever to earn an audience who would listen to my talk, but I am assured that it's going to be a conversation format and there will be other guests with me mostly from outside Bhutan, therefore I don't have to worry about mocking empty chairs.

My Profile at the Festival

I am already worried about disappointing people because there are many remarkable people who deserves the stage unless we are already done with everybody in last four festivals. There are about fifty people speaking at the festival and I am proud to tell you about twenty are Bhutanese. The full list of speakers can be found on Mountain Echoes website.

I am honoured to be invited at Mountain Echoes, and I am thankful to people who have recommended to the organizers. I have to leave behind my insecurity and fear because there are some good friends out there who wish me well. 

My show is scheduled on 23rd May 2014, 5:00 pm at Taj Tashi

Mountain Echoes Festival is an initiative by the India-Bhutan Foundation and produced by Siyahi.

Story of Books in Bhutan

Publishing a book in Bhutan is the easiest way to become poor, and if a writer dares to publish their second book then respect them because you have no idea how much they invested in their passion. Everybody wants money from your book. The publisher who gives you their name, the guy who did the layout, the other guy who designed your cover, the press that prints your book, and the bookstore that sells your book, all of them want more profit from your book than you will ever make.

Latest Book in Bhutan: The Night Hunting
Have you bought one yet?

 Once the book is published all your friends want a free copy each, there are several offices that claim five copies each of your book as an official requirement and by the time you finish selling the few hundred copies you had in your hand you will realize that you didnt even recover your printing cost. The worth of your words is an absolute zero. Everybody made profit out of your book except you.

Escapades: Perhaps the Book of the Year
What do you say?

Bhutan is an untold story, million books won't be enough but how many books are written so far? How many will be written? Books are national treasures and there must be national will to build our treasure. Publishing a book should be made easier, let the writer write respectfully, don't let him run from office to another for registration to approval to whatnot. Let there be just one office that will do everything for the writer. Lets not ask money from the writer, instead sponsor half the printing cost because afterall it's national treasure. Initiate annual writers' award to recognize good writers, inspire young writers. Writing is a passion, don't treat it like a business.

And of all the things in the world don't talk about censoring books. If you can't write books it's ok, there are other who can, and if you can't read it's still ok there are others who can and will read. Lets just inspire, that matters a lot.

Poetry Marathon in Agra Lite Festival

If you find me writing too much about my Agra journey, you must forgive and understand that it was my first time attending a Literature Festival. But I was prepared by Tshering C Dorji not to expect too much and to enjoy the places and traveling experience. He told me that Writers are strange species of people who wouldn't listen to your story without finishing theirs- and each has a story that will last a life time, which means no one would be interested in listening to us.

 

Once upon a poetry stage- 11/3/2013

On the second night we finally got our share on the stage to read our poetry in Poetry Marathon, but unfortunately both of us weren't poets for quite some time. Tshering chose to tell a story from his life and I thought I would speak of Blogging in Bhutan. However, I noticed that we cannot speak peacefully if we run longer than a few minutes therefore I readied an old poem from my poetry blog. Tshering found it interesting and encouraged me to go ahead with the poem. And I did!

Shut Up Grandma

Shut Up Grandma,
Your stories are lies.
Sing us a song instead,
But do you even remember the tune?

I’m old enough, grandma,
I have found my own tune.
Forgive me if it hurts you,
Because I've always forgiven you.

Thank you, grandma,
For the life you chose for me,
But sorry again, I rewrote my destiny,
To walked my own free road.

Whose blood runs in me, Grandma?
It feel so cold in my heart.
There is dirt in that, grandma,
I have bled all of it.

There is a question I feared ask, Grandma,
Because I have always felt your answer.
But it doesn’t matter anymore,
So tell me grandma, did you ever love me?

 This was written many years ago when I was a high school boy and I don't know what I meant in these lines. I chose to read it because it sounded very naughty, and also it was short enough to please the writer audience who were waiting to read their poems.