Samrat launches collection of stories (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Samrat launches collection of stories

3:10pm Monday 17th July 2006

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THE ROYAL GHOSTS. Publisher: Mariner Books; Author: Samrat Upadhayay; Price: £5.86.

Nepali author Samrat Upadhyay has launched The Royal Ghosts, his new collection of short stories.

It's full of characters who care for sick parents, fall in love with the wrong people, cheat on their spouses or get drunk in the afternoon when they should really be more responsible. In short: normal folk living normal lives.

Upadhyay, who teaches at Indiana University in America and writes in English, doesn't ignore the violence and political strife of his native country-he just keeps it in the background with controlled plots and measured prose.

The title story takes place immediately after the 2001 massacre of the royal family by Crown Prince Dipendra. While the country is thrown into confusion and grief, cab driver Ganga is confronted with a more personal upheaval-learning that his brother is gay.

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