Niranjan Kunwar

Between Queens and the Cities Niranjan Kunwar

Between Queens and the Cities is the riveting tale of a 19-year-old Nepali gay man and his long journey from Kathmandu to New York and back. Set against the backdrop of contemporary Nepal, the author reveals, with elan and ease, queer spaces where friendships are fostered outside the normalcy accorded to family and marriage. In the process, he introduces many fellow travellers of the LGBTIQ community. With rare courage and outrageous emotional honesty, the author lays bare the ceaseless conflict of the mind and heart in exploring sexuality. He also compels the reader to interrogate dominant notions regarding love and longing and in doing so, reveals dynamic relationships that are not confined to the realm of queer intimacy alone. This memoir on the shaping of queer identity in the South Asian context bristles with deeper questions regarding belonging. "By showing us how he negotiated a life for himself, Kunwar helps queer Nepalis reimagine their lives anew. He also shows all of us Nepali society as we have never seen it before: young, dynamic, open, and urbane. There is hope yet for social change." -Manjushree Thapa, Author of Forget Kathmandu"Brave and beautifully written." --Samrat Upadhyay, Author of Arresting God in Kathmandu