Kathmandu, Sept. 21 -- Dhurba Chandra Gautam was brought up in a family that thoroughly enjoyed reading and writing. As a teenager, he'd already published his first poem in the newspaper Kalyan, which was followed by publications of his stories in Rooprekha. The 75-year-old writer, who is a recipient of the Madan Puraskar and the Sajha Puraskar, says his biggest inspiration in writing is Jagadish Shumsher Rana, who was the first to appreciate his work when Gautam was a novice. Some of Gautam's works include Alikhit, Tathakathit Asafalta, Kattel Sir ko Chot Patak and Tyo Euta Kura.

In this interview with the Post's Alisha Sijapati, Gautam talks about his love for fiction and shares five books he thinks everyone must-read. Excerpts:

How d...