In last book, ‘Papa’ Hemingway meets an Indian; 850-page manuscript of Under Kilimanjaro, kept in a Cuban bank, published after 44 years

Under Kilimanjaro, Ernest Hemingway’s last novel that hit bookstores this month, has an Indian character.

The 850-page manuscript was kept in a Cuban bank. It saw the light of day on September 27 more than 44 years after Hemingway’s death in 1961.

Under Kilimanjaro, based on Hemingway’s experiences of an African safari months before he received the Nobel Prize in 1954, was released at a simple ceremony at Grand Forks in North Dakota, where its editor, Robert W Lewis, is based.

Talking to The Indian Express, Lewis said that this was the first time that a Hemingway book had an Indian character and a liberal sprinkling of Hindi words. ‘‘I had a tough time learning the meanings of these words and getting the spellings correct,’’ Lewis said.

The character, Singh, owned a general store in Loitokitok, the town closest to the safari camp, said Lewis. This was the shop from where Hemingway got his supplies. Singh’s wife, Turkana, was an African.

It was during his interaction with Singh that Hemingway made liberal use of Hindi.

Editing the manuscript, Lewis said, was a ‘‘terrific responsibility’’. ‘‘We decided that we would be very conservative while making any changes. But I have enjoyed every part of it. This has been a great experience,’’ he said.