Meeting With Markus Zusak

Meeting With Markus Zusak

Now I know what you are thinking, how did I get an audience with one of the famous German – Australian author? Well let me tell you it was just pure luck but after I got an autograph, I began to love writing more. The story of how I got to meet him is rather a bit funny, strange and very long. I promise to make it simple as possible in this blog.

It was in the year 2017 around the month of august, where an event in my country called `Mountain Echoes´ was occurring. `The Mountain Echoes`is a five days long session talking about writing, poetry, books and literature. Many influential authors, journalist and even actors attend this event to mainly give advises, talks and share their story to new beginner writers and youths.

I was one of the person, lucky enough to get in this program to attend Markus´s talk on how he writes and some advises from him. Sadly that day all though I had invited some of my friends to attend the program with me, they could not make it due to some family errands they had to take care of. It was an hour long talk and I enjoyed the talk about his upcoming books and his plans for the future. Markus encouraged the audiences to pick up a pen and just start.

After the talk he told us that he will be signing autographs outside the hall, of course I rushed first in the line. Behind me was some of few Bhutanese people who read his books. I told him that I love his books and that I had a copy of it but I had forgotten to bring it with me today.

" Don´t worry how about I draw this for you, so you can paste it under the title of the first page," he said with a smile. He drew a cute looking stick-man holding a balloon heart inside a rectangular box , similar to the ones you find in his famous book called ´The Book Thief´´. I asked him if he could do another one for my friend who happens to love his work. He gladly accepted and inquired my friend´s name.

Now the friend I was actually getting the autograph for was ´ Kinley Namgyel´, we both were classmates and he loves books, poetry and literature. He couldn´t attend the session because he had some other works. Markus gladly wrote a small letter for Kinley, I was a bit envious.

" Dear Kinley, Thank you for reading my books. I encourage you to write with love because that´s all we have to give to the world," under the letter he put his signature and a illustration of a heart.

After that day roughly around 7 pm I posted the picture of the autographs in my social media account. In the comment section a senior girl named Kinley Om, who was also very much a fan of books and poems had commented a rather odd comment.

" Wow, is that for me?."

I checked the photos again and I realized that the letter from Markus only mentioned Kinley Namgyel´s first name. Now Kinley Namgyel also saw the post and texted me saying that she seems to have had a misunderstanding, I agreed him and we had a bit of a laugh. Interestingly I got another message from a classmate and a friend ´Tshering Samdrup´. He wanted to buy the letter which was for Kinley Namgyel.

Kinley and I both knew that Tshering had a huge crush on the senior girl ´Kinley Om´ and we knew why he wanted to buy that letter from us. First we played a small prank asking for Ngultrum 10 thousand from him and he kept asking to lower the price but we gave him so many reason not to.

Kinley and I laughed secretly bargaining with Tshering, but Kinley being a humble soul promised to give him the letter only if he face Kinley Om in front and tell her his feelings for her.

Tshering agreed without a second thought and on 18^th of August with was Monday, we cleared the classroom during the break and he was to confess his feelings for her. We secretly watched from the windows , all of our classmates were excited and waiting for him to confess.

There it was, Tshering standing near the board and Kinley Om bit shy not knowing what to say, I saw him take a deep Breath. We were all routing for him, Kinley Om was one of the most beautiful girl from school. He almost uttered but immediately ran outside without saying anything, we all were disappointed but he came up to me and said he could not face her, giving me the letter and ran to the bathroom without an explanation.

It can be truly hard to face the one you love because in your heart you feel you are not worth that love.

Sadly I had to explain to Kinley Om that he got the Autograph for her but she was a bit disappointed and told me to thank him for her.

They never met or talked again.