A young girl
was stranded in the middle of an isolated island for more than a decade. She
survived alone on the island because she had the life-skills. She knew how to
fish, light a bonfire and swim. Many passing ships tried to rescue her but she
was a good runner and knew all the hiding places on the forbidden land.
Whenever the travelers left disappointed, she would be on a cliff waving at
them. Then one fine day, a group of determined sailors decided they had to take
her back to civilization by any means. They formed a band and started a search
operation, combing the whole area. At last, by a stroke of luck, one of them
found her, sitting by a cliff, humming to herself and swinging her hands. He
reached up to her silently and touched her shoulder. What was the girl’s
reaction? Did she jump, scream, run away or catch hold of the man? No. She
silently motioned for the man to take a seat and prepared a meal for him. What
was happening here? The castaway girl was catering to one of the most basic
needs of a human being. Even she knew and felt that. “And that is what a writer
is supposed to do,” ended Kim Stafford, a writer and teacher from Lewis & Clark College in Oregon, USA who along with
team members from Poland and Alaska, conducted a writers’ retreat at VAST,
Thimphu on January 25, 2011.
Writers
are supposed to be a gifted lot. They gift their creations to the world. And in
turn, they themselves are rewarded with the gifts of personal expression and
realization. Kim Stafford, the son of the American poet William Stafford who
has authored more than 2,000 volumes, said that even Bhutan is a rich breeding
ground for potential writers.
“The
people I have met in Bhutan are filled with stories from their lives and from
their country. Having a strong story to tell, and clear affection for the human
community - these are the foundation for being a writer. So, yes, of course,
Bhutan is filled with people who could do important writing,” he told The
Journalist.
He
believes that Bhutan needs writers and their stories in order to develop its
full identity.
According
to him, democracy is not just counting votes but real democracy is a society
where many voices can be heard - young, old, beginner, advanced and “each
writer's voice can make a crucial contribution to this process”.
“The world needs to learn how to behave in
better ways, and I believe writers in Bhutan can help us all to better
understand our responsibilities and joys as human beings,” he added.
Azhi
Kunzang Choden, a popular Bhutanese writer who has books like “The Circle of
Karma,” “Chilli and Cheese: Food and Society in Bhutan,” “Tales in Colors and
other Stories,” besides several articles, to her credit feels that Bhutanese
writers need to keep on growing by challenging themselves constantly to become
better writers.
According to her, there is a market anywhere for
good, inspired, well written stories but Bhutanese writers
have yet to prove themselves in the
international arena. The test, she said, is for Bhutanese works to be
accepted for publication by an international publisher.
But
Tashi Gyeltshen, an independent filmmaker who also dabbles in photography and
creative writing, said that research one of the most important elements that
goes into a piece of superb writing is sorely missing in the Bhutanese writing
culture.
He feels
that creativity depends on the freedom that culture/society gives
to an artist including a writer. “Creativity means you should have discipline,
passion, skills, and the willingness to take risks,” he said.
According to him, the potential of a writer depends on how
the society can promote and nurture it but that the creative culture cannot be
changed overnight such as poor reading habits, growing up with orthodox views
which constrict creativity and expression,
etc.
What inspires Tashi Gyeltshen is personal expression. He
said that when you want to say something, or have a story to tell the world, it
motivates you to create. For most people, he feels, writing is a form of self
indulgence but for works of art to have that magical quality, it must be
authentic and rooted in one’s own practices, of course, not without having a
universal quality to it which the global community can relate to.
And “passion”, he says is “the grease that keeps the machine
running”.
“Otherwise talent breaks down. When we talk about writers,
it is not about good language but creativity.”
Some of the Bhutanese writers The Journalist talked to
agreed that the publishing world in Bhutan also has to develop. And no amount
of publicity will work if the product is not up to the mark.
A critic however said that readers do not exist in Bhutan
and the few that do are “show-offs” trying to fit into the elite intellectual
society. “Books here are meant to be published, not read,” he observed, “And
there is no such formula by which a Bhutanese writer can touch the pulse of
readers in our society.”
It is not an unknown fact that Bhutanese representation in
the international literary circles is almost nil and an observer who agreed
said that this is because there is no platform for nurturing creative talent in
Bhutan.
“Because of the non-existence of an enabling environment,
the Bhutanese have very little belief in themselves. Nobody will say they want
to become a writer, photographer or film-maker. Everybody will vouch on
becoming a doctor or engineer,” he said.
Tandin Wangchuk, an upcoming young writer who has already
published three books, agrees that there is almost no market for books written
by Bhutanese writers as compared to foreign authors.
“The books written in English are too expensive and only a
few buy books in Dzongkha which is a sad thing.”
However, not to lose hope, is Azhi Kunzang Choden’s mantra.
“Each
one of us is a unique individual, so write as individuals, as
you see,
understand and interpret your world. You do not have to try to be somebody else
by using their thoughts and their language. Write simple sentences,” she
suggests.
And
like Kim Stafford advised writers against discouragement, “Writing, like any spiritual practice, requires the long view. You
are on a journey, and if you can learn to give yourself to the journey and
enjoy the process of creation, we will meet in the land of success together as
writers.”
