We call ourselves slow publishers because a good story cannot be rushed. But none the less, I want to begin by du-nuga-lisey apologizing to Rishi because this book took forever to publish.

Back in 2020, we made a call out for the first edition of the Safu Writing Fellowship to give continuity to the work Quixote's Cove (QC) started in 2008. We hoped to engage and work with a new generation of writers. Through the fellowship, we invited emerging writers to think about and work on a book length project, provide editorial support to help them overcome the many challenges that come with writing a book, and ultimately offer them a publishing deal.

The idea was exciting and well received, as proved by the number of applications we received. The execution, however, was at the best idealistic and naïve - it is very difficult to put aside everything for six months to try and write a book – the saving grace was Rishi’s submission. We had asked for a few thousand words to review, but Rishi submitted a full manuscript. His manuscript held promise and it aligned well with our vision - to tell stories from our own cultures and languages in a way that allows for everyone to connect with their identities of being a Nepali in the globalized world of today.

I am assuming many of us here grew up listening to stories that our parents or grandparents told us – my Dad regaled my sisters and me with bhuti maka ya bakhan –but the stories we read were of other places and people. While we explored new worlds we also might have found ourselves stretching our imaginations to relate and perhaps in the process to some extent dissociating ourselves from our cultures and languages. So when I read Rishi’s first draft which was peppered with dialogues in Newa and rich with references to Newa culture, I knew it was going to be a very special book.

The ambition behind the story was evident but he needed to put in quite a bit of work to meet that vision. At QC, we believe that the editorial process is a conversation between the writer and an engaged reader – if the pairing is right – magic can happen. And in this instance, it did; but only because Rishi was so open to the process and dedicated to his craft. I am incredibly grateful for his willingness and patience to be sent back to the drawing board several times as Amish (Mulmi), the editor, and I nudged him repeatedly about the many aspects of the story and the world it imagined. The only way to describe it is - Dhaatein hayku kha Rishi ya ta!

I really hope it was just as rewarding an experience for both Rishi and Amish as it was for me. And I hope this book allows for readers; to see themselves and each other, imagine new ways of creating and telling our unique stories, and reengage with our lore to articulate the nuances of our ways of being. Your responses and critical feedback are welcome opportunities for us to learn from so don’t hesitate to reach out and let us know your thoughts.

This is one of our first forays into publishing a novel length original commission so I was really nervous. Pranab and I read and reread the final manuscript before we finally felt ready to send it to print. At this point, I should also du-nuga-lisey apologize to Shubha Joshi, who did the layout of the text and the design of the cover - amateurs that we are as publishers - we asked for changes that would have sent any designer storming out of the project. Sujan Dangol did a fantastic job with the illustrations, lending his distinct style to create a world that matched the eeriness of the story. Pranab, my partner in crime, with his excellent eye and mind for art direction worked with Shubha to make the cover as fantastical as the story. Subhay to Dishebh and Prawin for their support throughout and being the much needed fresh pair of expert eyes on this book.

In telling you all about the long and arduous journey this book took, I hope it doesn’t discourage aspiring writers who are here today to share your manuscript if you feel Safu is the right fit for you. The third iteration of the Safu Writing Fellowship will be announced next year (2024). I promise we will handle your stories with the utmost care and consideration and work with you to fulfil a dream to tell stories in ways that matter today. Yakko yakko subhay to our wonderful speaker, Samrat Upadhyay, the author of Arresting God in Kathmandu and Buddha's Orphans, who has supported our work since the very beginning – it feels very special to have you here today.

One of his initiatives that we work on together is a short story writing contest called Writing Nepal with a total cash prize of Rs. 60,000 sponsored by Samrat himself – this contest has helped us discover emerging writers and given a much needed platform for English writing from Nepal. The Award Ceremony for the sixth iteration of Writing Nepal is our next event on December 21 at Malpi Institute, Baluwatar.

A big shout out as always to my wonderful team – it has been such a difficult and tumultuous year for us but Pranab and I are very happy to be ending it with a much deserved celebration. It has been such a privilege and joy to work with you all and we are very proud of the work we have done together. And I look forward to the new paths we will continue to discover, explore and learn from.

Rishi, thank you for trusting us with your book and for giving us this opportunity to showcase how we want to work with writers. I know you have many more stories up your sleeve and hope that we will get to create and produce many more fantastical worlds with you in books and other formats of storytelling. Hana napa yakko jya ya mani nhi Rishi?

Radha: Wrath of the Maeju is available via Thuprai.