{{Short description|2018 novel by Chuden Kabimo}} {{Infobox book | name = Song of the soil | author = Chuden Kabimo | language = Nepali | country = India, Nepal | genre = Historical fiction | published = 2019 | publisher = {{plainlist| *FinePrint Publication (Nepal, Nepali and English) *Sambodhan Publication (India, Nepali) *Rachna Books (India, English) *Balestier Press (UK, English) *Monfakira (India, Bengali) *Vani Prakashan (India, Hindi) }} | isbn = | pub_date = | media_type = Print (paperback) | image = Faatsung-cover.jpg | pages = 150 | title_orig = Faatsung ({{lang|ne|फातसुङ}}) | orig_lang_code = | preceded_by = 1986 | caption = First edition (Nepali) | alt = Cover page of the original Nepali edition }}

'''''Song of the Soil''''' (Original title: '''''Faatsung'''''; {{langx|ne|फातसुङ}}) is a 2019 Nepali novel by Chuden Kabimo.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Faatsung – A Saga of the Soil|url=https://www.sikkimexpress.com/faatsung--a-saga-of-the-soil|access-date=2021-10-27|website=Sikkimexpress|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=12 books to read this summer|url=https://kathmandupost.com/books/2019/06/15/12-books-to-read-this-summer|access-date=2021-10-06|website=kathmandupost.com|language=English}}</ref> The novel is based on the Gorkhaland movement revolution that took place during 1980s in the northern part of West Bengal.<ref>{{Cite web |title=गोर्खाल्यान्ड आन्दोलनको उपन्यास 'फातसुङ' सार्वजनिक |url=https://www.setopati.com/art/art-activity/178232/ |access-date=2021-10-06 |website=Setopati |language=ne}}</ref> The Nepali edition of the novel was initially published in 2019 by FinePrint Publication in Nepal and Sambodhan Publication in India.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Republica |title='Faatsung' addressing Gorkhaland conflict launches |url=https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/62803/ |access-date=2021-10-06 |website=My City |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=कान्तिपुर संवाददाता |date=2019-04-06 |title=गोर्खाल्यान्डबारे 'फातसुङ' |url=https://ekantipur.com/literature/2019/04/06/155452039535442856.html |website=eKantipur |language=ne}}</ref>

Kabimo, a writer from Kalimpong district, is the winner of the Yuva Puraskar for Nepali language 2018 for ''1986''—a short story collection centering around the Gorkhaland movement issue.<ref>{{Cite web|title=..:: SAHITYA Akademi - Yuva Puraskar ::..|url=https://sahitya-akademi.gov.in/awards/yuva_samman_suchi.jsp|access-date=2021-10-06|website=sahitya-akademi.gov.in}}</ref>

== Synopsis == The original title ''Faatsung'' translates to 'story of the soil' In Lepcha language. Kabimo belongs to the Lepcha community, an ethnic group indigenous to eastern Nepal, Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Sikkim region. The story revolves around the friendship of an unnamed narrator with his friend Norden, on the backdrop of the movement.

One day, the narrator receives the news Norden's death in a recent earthquake and decides to go back to his hometown in rural part of Nepali speaking region of West Bengal. As the narrator is going back to his hometown, he recalls his childhood with his friend. The narrator and Norden are studying in a primary school, when one day Norden decides to go find his lost father, Ripden. The narrator and Norden then run away from their village to another village named Lolay, where they have heard Ripden's friend lived. During the search of Ripden, they come across a man called Nasim, who tell them the story of Ripden and his involvement in the Gorkhaland movement of 1986.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Taylor |first=Marissa |title=The song and the soil - The Record |url=https://www.recordnepal.com/the-song-and-the-soil |access-date=2022-09-06 |website=The Record |language=en-GB}}</ref>

== Reception == Charisma K. Lepcha in her review of the Nepali edition for Harvard–Yenching Institute wrote, “Written in a Darjeelingay style of Nepali, Kabimu’s voice is fresh and modern bringing back poignant memories of an era gone by.”<ref>{{Cite web |title=Faatsung |url=https://www.harvard-yenching.org/research/faatsung/ |access-date=2022-09-06 |website=Harvard-Yenching Institute |language=en}}</ref> Chitra Ahanthem in her review for ''Scroll.in'' of the English translation praised the book for its political and personal intimacy saying, “...it breathes an intimacy into fiction that is both political and personal.”.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ahanthem |first=Chitra |title='Song of the Soil' channels the aborted political movement for Gorkhaland through fiction |url=https://scroll.in/article/1021487/song-of-the-soil-channels-the-aborted-political-movement-for-gorkhaland-through-fiction |access-date=2022-09-06 |website=Scroll.in |date=10 April 2022 |language=en-US}}</ref> ''East Mojo'', a digital news media platform focusing in the Northeast region of India, gave the book four stars (out of five) for its story and 4.5 stars for the translation, in its review of the English translation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=EastMojo |first=Team |date=2021-10-28 |title=Book Review: 'Song of the Soil' readers will end up saying 'Baaf Re! |url=https://www.eastmojo.com/review/2021/10/28/book-review-song-of-the-soil-readers-will-end-up-saying-baaf-re/ |access-date=2022-09-06 |website=EastMojo |language=en-US}}</ref>

The book was shortlisted for Madan Puraskar, 2075 BS ({{Circa|2018-2019}}), an prestigious award of Nepali literature.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2019-07-11|title=मदन पुरस्कारको उत्कृष्ट सात सार्वजनिक|work=Kantipur (daily)|url=https://epaper.ekantipur.com/kantipur/2019-07-11/province5|access-date=2021-10-06}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Republica|title=Seven books nominated for Madan Puraskar|url=https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/69262/|access-date=2021-10-06|website=My City|language=en}}</ref>

The English translation of the novel was shortlisted for the JCB Prize, 2022. The shortlist was announced on 21 October 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hindi, Urdu, Nepali Books Debut on JCB Prize Shortlist {{sic|Comprising|hide=y}} Entirely of Translations |url=https://thewire.in/books/jcb-prize-2022-shortlist |access-date=2022-10-23 |website=The Wire}}</ref> In 3 September 2022, it was longlisted for JCB Prize, 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-09-03 |title=JCB Prize for Literature announces 2022's longlist of 10 'incredible' books |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/books-and-literature/the-jcb-prize-for-literature-announces-2022s-longlist-of-10-incredible-books-8128473/ |access-date=2022-09-03 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref> It is the first–ever book, originally written in Nepali language, to be listed for the award.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Scroll Staff |title=JCB Prize for Literature 2022: Six translations (two from Urdu) feature in the longlist of 10 novels |url=https://scroll.in/article/1031939/jcb-prize-for-literature-2022-six-translations-two-from-urdu-feature-in-the-longlist-of-10-novels |access-date=2022-09-03 |website=Scroll.in |date=3 September 2022 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title='फातसुङ'को अंग्रेजी संस्करण भारतको जेसीबी पुरस्कारको सूचीमा |url=https://ekagaj.com/article/literature/113007/?v=1 |access-date=2022-09-06 |website=ekagaj |language=ne}}</ref>

== Translations == The novel was translated into Bengali, with the same title as the original Nepali edition, by Samik Chakraborty, in October 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2020-02-05 |title=ফাৎসুঙ্ : মাটির মরমী কথা। |url=https://www.groundxero.in/2020/02/05/fatgsung-tale-of-the-soil-of-darjeeling/ |access-date=2021-10-06 |website=Groundxero |language=bn}}</ref>

In October 2021,the English translation of the novel was published. The book was translated by Ajit Baral and was published by FinePrint Publication in Nepal, Rachna Books in India and Balestier Press in the United Kingdom.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Republica |title=English translation of novel 'Fatsung' released |url=https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/120096/ |access-date=2021-10-27 |website=My City |language=en}}</ref>

The Hindi edition of the novel, titled as ''Faatsung—Kahaani Mitti Ki'', was published in February 2023 by Vani Prakashan, India. The novel was translated from Nepali to Hindi by Namrata Chaturvedi, an English literature professor at Zakir Husain Delhi College.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Novel from hills goes places |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/novel-from-hills-goes-places/cid/1846368 |access-date=2022-09-09 |website=www.telegraphindia.com}}</ref>

== See also ==

* ''Karnali Blues'' * ''Basain''

== References == <references> https://bukant.com/shop/nepali/upanyash/faatsung/ </references>{{Nepali literature|state=collapsed}} __FORCETOC__

Category:2019 Indian novels Category:Indian historical novels Category:Nepali-language novels Category:2019 Nepalese novels Category:Novels set in West Bengal