Diwas Raja Kc is a researcher, writer and curator based in Kathmandu. He is currently the Head of Research and Archives at Nepal Picture Library, a digital photo archive that strives to create a broad and inclusive visual archive of Nepali social and cultural history.
Which three books would you recommend?
Das Kapital Karl Marx
It isn't easy to get through Marx's Capital. But once you do, it becomes impossible not to see the world through the "secret" and "hidden" processes Marx exactingly describes. For me, reading Marx was one of my life's defining moments. It changed everything. And if you think Capital is just a dense, boring economic text, you will be surprised by the pleasure Marx takes in literary word play and allegory. Every thinking person should read this book.
On the Road Jack Kerouac
The effect reading this book had on my teenage mind was ineffable. Of course, the life Kerouac describes was very far from my own at that point. But I think it taught me to crave freedom. This book seems written for the young mind who is seeking a path away from the norms.
Wise ChildrenAngela Carter
I am still waiting for someone to make a movie of this book! I can't think of any other book that's made me laugh as much. The shenanigans of the book's two main characters, the septuagenarian twin sisters Dora and Nora, makes this book by Angela Carter a tremendous joy.
What is your favourite bookstore or library?
Strand in New York