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“Never Never Land” is an account of Iti, a middle-aged woman, who retreats to live with her elderly relatives in the distant mountainous region of Kumaon, seeking respite from her monotonous life as an editor in the city. She intentionally escapes the hustle and bustle of a cosmopolitan life to an aloof mountain village where she had sweet childhood memories. Iti finds pleasure while going back to her childhood place where she pleases her spirit with mountains, flowers found there, greenery, pasture, and nature.

The novel, narrated primarily in the first person by Iti, starts with her recounting the stories and folktales native to the mountainous Kumaon. For instance, ‘The Sun has his own stories, and his own way of telling them. You can hear him best at mid-day when he casts no shadows.’ The novel also depicts the bond and affection between grandparent and grandchild, here through Badi Amma and Iti. Grandparents do not have a sense of fear while they love, their affection and love outweighs any sort of suspicion, fear and reluctance. The affection is so immense that Iti has no sentiments towards her mother but the bond between her grandmother is highly revered.

The relation between landlord Rosinka and her maid, Badi Amma or Lily is outstanding and asks for special attention from the readers. The carefully carried out duty that Lily performs in the house of Rosinka even in her nonagenarian days proves her faith, love and friendship with Rosinka, the 102 year old woman who led an active life herself. 

In one of the chapters, the story is narrated by Rosinka where she mentions that she had urinated on her bed. Badi Amma soon cleaned up, removed the sheet and under-sheet and laid out a large pink bath towel on the bed. Then she said, ‘You can lie down again. The quilt isn’t wet. I will get you some tea.’ Such tremendous love and affection is noted well by Rosinka in spite of her old age. Instead of saying that she wetted the quilt or she hasn’t, she said, ‘the quilt isn’t wet’.

Despite Rosinka’s rude behavior in her heyday, once narrated to Iti by her grandmother Badi Amma, she continued to work as her maid, a confident person throughout her life. And Rosinka too, along with her husband, had apologized to her maid and insisted on returning back. This further confirms the special and ideal relation between the two elderlies.

The narration on natural objects, mountains, flowers, nettle cooking etc. is poetic and detailed. It is the writer’s extraordinary talent to weave words so meticulously on trivial or ordinary things and events. The projection of celebration of life and merry making by the 90 year old and 102 year old women is astounding motivation. They enjoy doing household errands, drinking tea, wine, being quite satisfied in their lives.

Similarly, the use of poems and poetic lines in between the narratives add literariness to the novel. For e.g. the verses of William Blake’s O Rose thou art sick is placed justifiably, which added literary flavor to the plots.

The book does not gloss over the terror that seizes the Himalayan landscape when it is caught in the midst of adverse natural calamities, much worsened by human encroachment. Iti’s once-idyllic repose loses electricity and water, and she writes that the narrators were comparatively safer, for they were near the top of the hill. They were saved from the collapse of rocks and boulders on their roof, even as down below in the village, the monsoon went on, with landslides and floods taking place everywhere. 

As the book progresses and Iti realizes that dreams can also turn into nightmares, the stories of Badi amma’s and Rosinka’s pasts unfold. Nettle soup, called ‘witches’ brew’ or ‘dayan ki chai’ in the hills, must be made carefully, lest the nettles burn you. If held as tightly as possible, they do not hurt. Badi amma makes this soup to comfort Iti in her sickness, even as she tells a tale of its boiling, stinging past. Like palak leaves, the antidote to nettle, always grow nearby in nature, the book presents at once a whirlwind of hurt and love, betrayal and friendship. Thrust together, they present a balance. Never Never Land is a tale of wisdom, on what it means to be old and young. As the mountains speak and the sun tells its stories, Iti finds her way towards their lessons of love and resilience. 

Never Never Land

Namita Gokhale

Published Year: 2024

Page: 167

Publisher: Speaking Tiger

The culmination of the New York Writers Workshop Kathmandu (NYWWK), Himalayan Literature Festival (HLF) concludes after a two day event full of panel discussions, book launches, poetry and fiction readings, dramatic performance and book signings. The two day festival held three concurrent sessions covering more than twenty sessions. The faculties of the NYWWK as well as participating international writers from all around the world interacted with Nepali authors on areas ranging from translation to poetry and photography to travel writing.

On May 27, the festival was officially inaugurated by Minister of Women, Children and Elderly Bhagawati Chaudhary together with the Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Nepal Rob Fenn. Minister Chaudhary applauded the initiative of Himalayan Literature Festival for organizing such literature events in Nepal, bringing writers from all around the world, inviting New York Writers Workshop and dedicating the festival to the great Nepali poet Gopal Prasad Rimal. She said, “Such festivals enhance the promotion of the entire nation through words.” Similarly, Rob Fenn recited his poem and emphasized the need for such cultural exchanges.

On the first day of the festival, sessions on Ghazal as Blues, role of big and small magazines, Nepali poetry reading, conversation with poet K Satchidananda, Home and Beyond, Culture of Silence, Nepal Bhasha poetry reading, Translation, English poetry by Nepali poets, launch of literary magazines Pratik City Issue and other five books, The Space of Nepali literature on Nepali media, Flash Fiction, Workshop on Constraint, Chance and Discovery by Ruth Danon were held. A dedicated panel discussion and reading was held in the evening on Indian Letters Now where contemporary Indian poets and writers discussed Indian writings in English.

According to the curator of the festival, Yuyutsu RD Sharma, the inaugural festival is dedicated to the great Nepali poet Gopal Prasad Rimal for his contribution to Nepali poetry and literature is immense. He said, “Rimal never compromised with the then ruthless regime. Though he faced wrong accusations, he continued to revolt against authority with his powerful poems.” Shreejana Bhandari, the director of the festival said that they are planning to continue organizing a literature festival dedicating a great Nepali poet on each edition of the festival.

More than forty five poets recited their poems, some in English, some in Nepali and some of them in Nepal Bhasha. Nepali poets like Dwarika Shrestha, Shailendra Shakar, Sita Pandey, Kishor Pahadi, Ramesh Chitiz, Shyam Rimal, Tanka Upreti, Avaya Shrestha, Amar Aakash read their poetry on contemporary issues. Other poets like Rajni Mila, Sabina Maharjan, Dr Ananda Raj, Suresh Kiran recited their Nepal bhasha poetry. Likewise Nepali poets writing in English, Bhuwan Thapaliya, Paru Timilsina, Sushant Thapa, Sameen Shakya, Tejan Subba and others performed their English poems.

Noted journalist turned author Narayan Wagle opined that the current crises in media has led to decreasing the content of literature in media. Veteran journalist Yubaraj Ghimire opined that content of literature in media depends upon the background of the editor mainly. Poet Shakuntala Joshi expressed her views that poems are getting enough space in big media though some are struggling to publish their initial works. Republica’s editor Kosh Raj Koirala opined that there are many platforms like Sahityapost to publish the works of literature. It is not a must to publish in big media to draw one’s attention.

On May 28, the festival started with workshops on metaphors by Prof Tony Barnstone, Whittier College with the workshop participant writers. The workshop followed by another on Text, Image and Sound with speakers Jami Proctor Xu, Da Mao and Jah Rose Jafta. They discussed how such elements can be incorporated and utilized in the writing crafts. Concurrently, Nepali photographer Bikas Rauniar conversed with Boston-based photographer Julie Williams-Krishnan on the Art of Photography. They discussed how photography can be a powerful tool of expression through the medium of art.

Likewise, a dedicated session on the life and times of Gopal Prasad Rimal was held with moderation of Deepak Sapkota and speakers Yuyutsu Sharma, Raj Kumar Baniya and Narayan Dhakal respectively. They discussed the contributions of Gopal Prasad Rimal and how his poetry can be representative of the then Nepali society. They also realized the need for translations of his works. Piia Mustamaki, professor of English at NYU Abu Dhabi moderated a session on travel writing with writers David Drukan, BN Joshi, Tom Lutz and Neville Sarony. They discussed their individual styles of writing travelogues and if some are more public and personal accounts. Tom Lutz shared his experience that he traveled to new places and countries where he lets the place and people there to allow him understanding of the location and culture.

Veteran Indian author Pankaj Bisht interacted with prolific Nepali author Narayan Dhakal on various themes of writing including translation, South Asian literature, world literature and their personal experiences regarding how they weave stories. The second day saw the launch of six new books written by authors such as Vinita Ramani, Yann Vagneux, Tim Tomlinson, Anish Ghimire, Sudeep Sen and SS Dogra.

Moreover, Akhanda Bhandari’s new Nepali novel Bora was discussed by the critic Ganesh Khaniya where the latter delved into the criticism of the book without spoilers. He unearthed the writing strategy that Bhandari applied while writing his book. The two spoke on how the book has tried to portray the bitter reality of dumping one’s mother at the cost of material wealth and invidualism that is growing due to modernity.

In addition, Nepali writing trends were discussed by the panelists Raj Kumar Baniya, author Shailendra Adhikaree, poet Avaya Shrestha, Amar Aakash and Bimala Tumkhewa. They discussed how increasing populism is encouraging authors to produce low quality books and how authors should take required time and make efforts to not sway with populism. They also discussed the chronicles of the past Nepali writing and how Nepali writing has increased publications in various genres such as poetry, novels and essays.

Towards the end, Rimal’s poems Bhet and Hos were dramatized and performed, paying tribute to the great Nepali poet. Likewise, poems of Yuyutsu Sharma Khachharharu, Father, Rains, poems of Ravi Shankar, Laloo the Handsome, Healthy Happy Hindoo, Exile and poems of Tony Barnstone, Roses & Death Birth were also performed creating an open theatre in the garden. The dramatization was directed by Che Shankar and produced by Garden Theatre Community.

The NYWW Kathmandu faculties and participating writers have headed towards Pokhara where they shall be writing and exercising their crafts on the natural beauty and splendor of the Lake city, historical sites, monuments of Pokhara and then towards Chitwan to delve deeper into the nature of the wildlife.

The New York Writers Workshop Kathmandu recently concluded workshops held at various picturesque locations around the valley, including their base at Park Village Resort, Budhanilkantha. Participants and faculty also embarked on cultural excursions, visiting iconic sites like Pashupatinath, Swayambhunath, and Bouddhanath. They explored the rich history of Changunarayan, the grandeur of Basantapur Durbar Square, and the vibrant markets of Asan and Indrachowk.

Workshop attendees, hailing from diverse corners of the globe, were accompanied by representatives from White Lotus Book Shop, who facilitated connections with the local people and culture. Inspired by their experiences at holy shrines like Pashupatinath and Changunarayan, participants created poems and stories that were shared during workshops.

Yuyutsu Sharma, curator of the Himalayan Literature Festival, shared that some of the workshop participants plan to present their work at the upcoming festival, which will take place at Kathmandu Guest House in Thamel on May 27 and 28.

The festival promises a vibrant showcase of international literary talent. Workshop writers, captivated by Nepal’s cultural tapestry and natural beauty, are crafting poems, stories, and even photography based on their experiences.  Several plan to create lasting artistic expressions upon returning home, with some considering documentaries exploring Nepal's rich ethnic diversity and customs. Authors are enthusiastic about translating their workshop creations into languages like Greek, Spanish, and Panamanian. Further excursions to Pokhara and Chitwan are planned, allowing them to deepen their understanding and translate their experiences into various literary forms.

The festival boasts an esteemed faculty, including Prof. Tim Tomlinson, Dr. Piia Mustamaki, Dr Ravi Shankar (workshops for GATE College), and Tony Barnstone, Ruth Danon, and Jami Proctor Xu (workshops for Kathmandu International School, Guheswori).

The festival will be inaugurated by Rob Fenn, the UK Ambassador to Nepal. He will be joined by distinguished guests, including co-founders of the New York Writers Workshop, Tim Tomlinson and Dr Ravi Shankar.

The festival will take place across three venues within Kathmandu Guest House. Following the inauguration, there will be various programs including panel discussions on Ghazal and the evolving role of magazines, as well as a Nepali poetry reading session. Renowned writer K Satchidanandan will also be in conversation, while other panels explore themes of ‘Home and Beyond’ and the ‘Culture of Silence.’

The festival will also feature multilingual poetry readings. Rajni Mila is set to moderate the Nepal Bhasa poetry session, while Tony Barnstone will lead a discussion on translation with renowned translators.

There will also be book launches and signings, with around 12 books scheduled for release, including the latest City Issue of Pratik magazine. Authors like Gorka Lasa, Tony Barnstone, and Shyam Rimal will be among those presenting their works.

The festival will also pay homage to the revered Nepali poet Gopal Prasad Rimal. His son, Madan Rimal, will speak about his father at the opening session. The festival also features the inauguration of Rimal’s English translations and a stage performance of his poetry by the Garden Theatre Community. A panel discussion on Rimal’s life and times is also scheduled for May 28.

The festival encourages interaction between international and Nepali literary figures. Photographer Bikas Rauniar will engage in a discussion on the ‘Art of Photography’ with Boston-based photographer Julie Williams-Krishnan.

Nepali literature is well-represented with panels like ‘The Space of Nepali Literature in Nepalese Media’, featuring prominent writers like Yubaraj Ghimire and Narayan Wagle, moderated by Ken Subedi. Critic Ganesh Khaniya will discuss the latest novel by Akhanda Bhandari, and a panel titled ‘Nepali Writing Now’ will delve into current trends in the Nepali literary scene.

The Himalayan Literature Festival promises a comprehensive experience for literature enthusiasts, offering a platform for exploring Nepali, Indian, and international writing trends across various genres.

New York Writers Workshop (NYWW) is organizing its annual workshop and conference in Kathmandu on May 22. The workshop is scheduled to culminate in the Himalayan Literature Festival (HLF) at Kathmandu Guest House on May 27 and 28. The workshop and the festival shall have participation of over 35 international authors and faculties as well as over 50 Nepali writers covering various genres. The workshop will be facilitated by expert faculties including Tim Tomlinson, co-founder of NYWW, Yuyutsu RD Sharma, poet and curator of HLF, Ravi Shankar, board member of NYWW, Julie William-Krishnan, international fine art photographer, Jami Proctor Xu, poet, essayist and translator, Dr Tony Barnstone, professor at Whittier College, California, and others.

Ken Subedi talked to them about the event.  

Tim Tomlinson

Nepal strikes me as complicated and colorful. Spiritual retreats, rugged treks, white-capped mountains, lavender lotuses. I’m excited to experience it all. Above all, I come here to learn. The conference/workshop participants are coming from Poland and Panama, Australia and Armenia, the US and the UK, Singapore and South Africa, India and China. This will be a truly international conference filled with highly accomplished poets and writers engaged in generous cultural cross-pollination.

I’ll be looking at various ways that fiction intersects with and draws from travel. And I’ll be launching a new book, Listening to Fish, which provides something of an account of my own experiences visiting other worlds, specifically those under the surface of the sea.  

Yuyutsu RD Sharma

Having worked in the Nepalese literary circles for the last four decades, I take this event as a summary of my struggles in the nation. To live with the currents and cross-currents of Nepali literary life, writing in Nepali, translating from Nepali into English, translating from English into Nepali, editing journal, Pratik and Nirala series, teaching in various campuses, all the contacts I earned will come into force in HLF festival and NYWW. So, I am very excited about doing in my own world what I have been doing during my travels across the world, to sing songs of the mighty Himalayas.

I have been traveling the world and in the words of American poet Walt Whitman building friendships as thick as tree-trunks. Finally curating the festival looks like returning home in its truest sense. I see the festival and workshop as grand feast for the Nepalese readerships and Nepalese literary community. I am sure the workshop will become a grand bridge to build connections between far flung literary worlds.

This workshop and festival will be the first of its kind covering 12 days with most exciting panels and readings and interactions. I plan to present a rich selection of finest writers out of the treasure trove of my literary friendships I have forged across continents. Scores of best-known poets and writers from five continents seems an exotic treat for my Nepali audiences. I can't believe it's actually happening right now.

Ravi Shankar

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Exactly a decade ago in 2014, I had the good fortune to visit Nepal. I spent a week marveling at the syncretic culture, the emplacements of Buddhist stupas and Hindu shrines next to one another, the multicolored stalls of flower sellers and icon hawkers and copper utensils and DVDs next to pockets of profound meditative silence. I ran a poetry workshop at a local school, visited Pashupatinath and Swayambhunath, vying with monkeys for the view, was treated to Newari song and dance, strolled by the gnarled, coin-festooned stump of Viasha Dev, the toothache tree, along a chowk past Thahiti Tole, ate momos and tsampa in streetside stalls, was treated warmly by the Neaplese people, all under the magnificent presence of the Himalayas, which lent a mystical air to the everyday. I was commissioned to write a poem about Thomas Jefferson while visiting, and that poem "Thomas Jefferson in Kathmandu" was published in Caravan and has been anthologized and included on school curriculums.

Therefore, I am ecstatic to visit again, this time with the hope that I can penetrate further into the shamanistic mysteries of Nepalese culture and engage even more fully with readers and writers both local and international. Given the scope of the inaugural Himalayan Literature Festival, which we have been planning for months, I'm keen for the exchange between languages to happen and for us to be united in the shared love of art and letters.

The New York Writers Workshop and the Himalayan Literature Festival are truly unprecedented historical events. We will be bringing students and faculty from around the world, including Pushcart Prize, National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities, Poetry Society and Pablo Neruda prize-winning poets, the first Asian to deliver the Derek Walcott Lecture at the Nobel Laureate Festival, publishers of iconic publications such as the Los Angeles Review of Books, Nirala, Drunken Boat, translators from the Chinese, Tamil, Spanish, Hindi, Dutch and Malayalam, professors who have taught at NYU, Columbia, Tufts, City University of Hong Kong, IIT-New Delhi, given TED talks and been featured at festivals around the world. During the NYWW workshop we will be doing generative writing exercises with well-published authors and creative excursions into the heart of Kathmandu and the two-day HLF (open to all!) will host simultaneous panels, including concurrent ones run in Nepalese, English and Newari, and a special keynote on the state of Indian literature that's not to be missed.  Based on the shape of the program and interest from the locals, this should be a truly spectacular event.

I will be participating as host, moderator, panelist and performer at HLF. I plan to discuss bhakti poetry and writing through the mundane to arrive at the divine, to explore the spectrum of translation practice, and to introduce the audience to six of India's finest living writers who will appear together on stage for the very first time. I will also have some copies of my Memoir Magazine and Connecticut Book Award finalist memoir Correctional and my Muse India award winning translations of Andal, The Autobiography of a Goddess, with me for my Nepalese readers, and I will be available throughout the festival to speak formally and informally about publishing and the ways that we might collaborate with and sustain each other. For those who are interested, there is still space available in both the workshops and HLF and the coordinators can be contacted for sign ups. In my writing workshops, all the members will depart with a deeper understanding of craft and an original new text of their own that they can continue to polish for publication. I will be documenting my visit on the socials @empurpler.

Julie William-Krishnan

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​​​​​​​I am so very excited about this opportunity to visit Nepal, and for the purpose to be related to creativity. I have several friends from Nepal, and I have learned about Nepal through them over the years, and I am so excited to have the chance to experience their home country firsthand. The NYWW program is very inspiring, and I am excited to meet the various participants, as well as to visit the sites in Kathmandu and the surrounding region. I look forward to delicious food, beautiful sights, talking about writing/art, and seeing old friends and making some new ones.

I expect the NYWW workshop and the Himalayan Literature Festival to be enriching and exciting. I have been very excited to watch the momentum grow over the past few months as participants from around the world have confirmed their attendance. I expect many connections to be made between writers/artists, new conversations, the sharing of ideas, and lasting friendships to be formed.

I am a photographer first. Though I dabble in writing and have studied literature as well as photography. I am planning to share how images and words can work together for creative purpose, how they can each inspire the other. I will also share my personal journey as a fine art photographer.

Jami Proctor Xu

Nepal is a country I have wanted to visit for many years. China has been like my second home ever since I first lived there when I was nineteen, so I think of Nepal as a neighbor. I’ve also traveled many times to India, but somehow the timing never worked out to visit Nepal. I’ve been drawn there for the natural beauty, the cultural uniqueness and diversity of the Nepali people (as well as spiritual and cultural resonances with China, Tibet, and India), and by Nepali poets I’ve met at poetry events in China. I became friends with Yuyu several years ago, and he has kept inviting me. I’m grateful and thrilled I am finally able to get here. I know it will be meaningful for me on a spiritual level, and in terms of the Nepali people I meet. I am looking forward to hearing the work of many more Nepali writers during the Himalayan Literature Festival.

I think the workshop will be a magical time, the way writing events tend to be. Having writers and artists from around the world come together to share their ideas and work always seems to bring about exciting collaborations, as well as new work. The participants come from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, and the faculty also has diverse yet overlapping interests that should bring about lively discussions and readings. I am extremely grateful to be part of a workshop in Kathmandu.

I will be reading some of my own poems, as well as translations by Chinese writers, discussing my work as a translator, and facilitating conversations with poets and visual artists on creating work within different media. I’ll also be exploring ways being in dialogue with place, self, other writers, and the natural world allows us to expand the possibilities of our own work. I think of poetry as a healing practice, and hope to bring some aspects of that into the shared spaces during the festival.

Shankar Tiwari wears multiple hats as an author, freelance journalist, and a youth leader of the Nepali Congress. Renowned for his regular columns in national newspapers and his literary works focusing on figures such as BP Koirala, Pradip Giri, and DB Parihar, Tiwari’s persona is a blend of literature and politics. Like BP, he divides his time almost equally between these two domains. Recently, he has put forth his candidacy for the position of central committee member of the Nepali Congress in its 2024 General Convention.

Reflecting on his entry into politics, Tiwari recounted, “During my Bachelor’s studies, amidst King Gyanendra’s takeover, I was more inclined towards study and research than active political involvement. However, an opportunity to stand as a student leader via the Nepal Student Union arose just before the Free Students Union election. It was then that I realized the futility of personal development without addressing the political landscape of our country.”

Tiwari’s interactions with leaders like Gagan Thapa and Pradip Poudel further spurred his interest in political activism.

Asked about the intersection of his roles as an author and a political leader, Tiwari shared, “I’ve delved into the writings of political figures, ranging from Karl Marx to BP Koirala. What I’ve noticed is that writers possess a clarity of thought and secure a lasting place in history.”

Tiwari stressed the enriching impact of both literary and political pursuits on one’s personality. His columns in various newspapers, starting from Himal to Annapurna Post and eventually in Kantipur, not only bolstered his reputation but also provided a platform for personal growth and understanding of national and global literary trends.

Although his previous bid for a central committee position in the Nepali Congress was unsuccessful, Tiwari views it as a valuable learning experience. His vision for reforms, if elected, revolves around prioritizing general elections over party conventions, ensuring leadership renewal, and curbing the tendency of party dominance.

“If the party fails to enter the government after the elections, the party president’s term must be terminated within six months. This will pave the way for a new generation to lead the party,” he said. “In European democracies, it is an established notion that political parties are not rejected but leadership can be rejected. I want to establish the same value here.”

Tiwari’s academic journey, including his study of Gandhi’s philosophy at the Gandhi Center and his observations of student politics at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), solidified his commitment to political activism. He emphasizes the importance of ideological clarity and the necessity for senior leaders to make way for the new generation.

Echoing the liberal values of the Nepali Congress, Tiwari envisions a space for healthy debate and collaboration between different viewpoints. Drawing parallels to past predictions, he sees the party’s role in shaping Nepal’s democratic future.

Advocating for a shift in perspective regarding Nepal’s brain drain, Tiwari perceives migration as a developmental process. He believes that when governance becomes more effective, brain drain can transform into brain gain, fostering innovation and progress within the country.

“Modernization in the country has been driven due to people migrating overseas. Look at Kathmandu, we can see new and innovative businesses, new ways of doing things. It was all possible due to those people who migrated overseas and brought those new ideas back home,” he said.

Tiwari reminisces about his involvement in projects like the biography of DB Parihar, which debunked misconceptions surrounding Nepali cinema’s history. His academic pursuits, particularly in Gandhian studies, reinforced his dedication to social activism over conventional career paths.

In Tiwari’s view, politics should respect and foster cultural and literary expression rather than imposing its will. Positioned as a guiding light for Nepal’s new generation, Tiwari follows in the footsteps of esteemed figures like CK Prasai, Narahari Acharya, and Pradip Giri.

New York Writers Workshop, an alliance of published authors and professional writers based in New York City is organizing an international literary conference and workshop in Kathmandu starting on May 22 in partnership with White Lotus Book Shop, Lalitpur. The workshop shall be accentuated with Himalayan Literature Festival on May 27 and 28 at Kathmandu Guest House where the workshop writers will be showcasing their literary productions from the workshop- from memoir pieces to poetry and other forms of literature.

As per the Festival director Shreejana Bhandari, over thirty-five international authors and faculties will be participating in the Kathmandu Workshop as well as Himalayan Literature Festival. The first edition of the Himalayan Literature Festival shall encompass panel discussions, poetry readings in various languages, book launches and interactions. Yuyutsu RD Sharma, the curator of Himalayan Literature Festival as well as the Himalayan poet played a pivotal role in persuading the New York Writers Workshop team to organize the new edition of Workshop and Conference in Kathmandu and begin an international literature festival in its true sense.

As per Tim Tomlinson, President of New York Writers Workshop and Bhandari, director of the Himalayan Literature Festival, the festival shall feature authors Lourdes Rodriguez Tomlinson and Dr. Ravi Shankar, faculties such as Jami Proctor Xu, Poet, Essayist, Translator, Julie Krishnan-Williams, International Photographer, Dr. Tony Barnstone, Professor at Whitƫer College, California.

The Workshop and Literature Festival will also feature the Polish poets Son Van and Dariusz Lebioda; Panamanian poet Gorka Lasa; South African poet and performer JahRose Jafta; US poets Ruth Danon, Peter Allenspach and his wife Da Mao; English poet Maria Claire Heath; Greek poet, writer, and educator Vasilis Manousakis; Hindi novelist, Pankaj Bisht; Indian poet and scholar K Satchidanandan; Hong Kong writer and performer Neville Sarony; Brian Hou, photographer, and Jane Houng, musician, writer, philanthropist, from Hong Kong; writer and university professor from NYU Abu Dhabi, Piia Mustamaki; Australian writer Lizzie Packer; as well as aspiring writers Kathleen Butler, Kathryn Kempf, Ann Gordon, Nancy Parish, and Marianne Sciberras.

In addition, over three dozen Nepalese authors including Dwarika Shrestha, Narayan Wagle, Shailendra Sakar, Raj Kumar Baniya, Deepak Sapkota, Manoj Dahal, Sarad Pradhan, Narayan Dhakal, Shyam Rimal, Amar Aakash, Bhuwan Thapaliya, Vijay Gurung, Rajani Mila and others will be joining the festival and some of them shall be interacting on various themes in Nepali literature as the panelists. The festival is dedicated to the great Nepali poet Gopal Prasad Rimal and his contributions to the Nepali literature will be discussed as well as the English translations of his works shall be made public.

Dr Chakra Raj Pandey is a co-founder and the Chief of Orthopedics and Traumatology at Anamiwa Health. He is highly sought after for his expertise in complex trauma, arthroscopy, joint replacement, sports medicine, and pediatric orthopedics. Dr Pandey was among the founding directors and served as the first medical director of Grande Hospital until 2021.

Born in Melamchi to farming parents, Dr Chakra Raj Pandey had the opportunity to attend school in Kathmandu. He studied at Laboratory School, supported by scholarships for several years, while residing with his uncle. Ranking 6th in the SLC examinations of 1980 showcased his academic prowess. “During those days, our sole focus was on excelling academically,” recalls Pandey of his school years. 

Despite enjoying football and dancing, his dedication to academic excellence remained unwavering.

Asked about his interest in science and later medicine, Pandey reflects on a pivotal moment from his youth: aiding an injured elderly woman struck by a bus when he was a ninth grader. Despite lacking technical knowledge, his innate desire to assist those in need ignited a passion for healthcare. 

Immersing himself in biographies of notable figures such as Albert Schweitzer, Madame Curie, Florence Nightingale, Joseph Lister, and Alexander Fleming further fueled his ambition. Driven by a multitude of experiences, Pandey was determined to pursue medicine, devoting himself wholeheartedly to his studies.

Recalling the catalyst for his journey into orthopedic medicine, Dr Pandey reminisces about witnessing the groundbreaking work of William DeVries in 1982, who implanted the world’s first permanent artificial heart. Initially drawn to vascular surgery or cardiology, Pandey’s trajectory shifted after sustaining a knee injury during a football match in 1987, which introduced him to the field of Orthopedics. Despite the challenges posed by the injury and subsequent surgery, his determination only strengthened, propelling him towards his chosen path.

During his undergraduate studies, Pandey’s personal experience with knee surgery influenced his decision to pursue orthopedic surgery. With the support of his teacher, he embarked on a journey that ultimately led to his specialization in Orthopedic Surgery. His unwavering commitment to his craft is exemplified by his relentless pursuit of excellence during his postgraduate residency in Turkey, where he exceeded expectations through sheer dedication and hard work.

Dr Pandey’s vision for Anamiwa Health, which he co-founded with his wife Sapana Pandey, emphasizes the importance of patient care and a proficient, cohesive team across all facets of the institution. Committed to upholding healthcare values, Pandey ensures that his team at Anamiwa strives for excellence in patient treatment and fosters a culture of continuous improvement.

Anamiwa Health complements Nepal’s healthcare system with its specialized focus on joints, arthroscopy, sports medicine, joint replacement, complex orthopedic trauma, and revision surgeries. Dr Pandey’s 33 years of active practice exemplifies his dedication to providing optimal orthopedic care, considering socio-economic and psychological factors alongside medical treatment.

Ilam Nagar Sahitya Kala Sangit Pratisthan and Ilam Sahitya Samaj jointly organized the Ilam Literature Festival for the third time in Ilam on March 29 and 30. The festival attracted hundreds of audiences and literature enthusiasts both from the different parts of the country. Nepal Academy was one of the key supporters and co-sponsors of the festival. The festival encompassed nearly 20 sessions related to literature, arts, culture, politics, economy and society. Over sixty speakers and experts joined the panel discussions.

The event was formally inaugurated by the Chancellor of Nepal Academy, Bhupal Rai. It was followed by the keynote speech from former Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai. Bhattarai talked about Nepal’s political crises and sustainable solutions in mitigating those crises. The festival progressed ahead with interaction sessions back to back under titles such as ‘Federalism: Present or Different?’; ‘What is in Poetry?’; ‘From Myth to Myth’; ‘Border, Literature and Culture’; and ‘Poetry in Movement: Multimedia Poetry’.

Dr. Swarnim Wagle delivered a lecture on the title “Nepal-2030: Goals, Challenges, and Ilam Context. The lecture followed another series of interaction sessions on the issues of changing world and localness, theater, poetry of Ilam, beauty of verses etc. 

Dr Arun Gupto and Dhanaprasad Subedi discussed the meaning of myth, its formation, relationship with history and oral tradition in the festival with the moderator Rajin Paneru. Dr Gupto shed insights from the western literature on myth-making and its significance in the narratives.

The second day of the literature festival hosted nine interaction sessions and poetry recitations at the end. The first session of the day was about conservation and ecotourism. The session was moderated by Luna Khatiwada and the speakers were Dipendra Karna, communication manager of Buddha Airlines as well as Assistant Professor of English, Dr Asmita Bista.
Karna emphasized how corporations such as airlines should work on reducing carbon footprints and conserving the environment as a gesture of social responsibility. Bista discussed how different literary productions can help people to conserve the environment and change the normalized anthropocentric worldview. She also gave examples of different authors and their works who have been successful in delivering messages of environmental conservation, wildlife and their habitat conservation and harmony between human and other creatures.

Similarly, essayist and journalist Deepak Sapkota interacted with Prof Dr Abhi Subedi about the stories of age. Subedi shared his memories of youth and nostalgia during the Hippies’ stay in Nepal. He also sang Scottish songs and entertained the audience, and rejected the idea of VS Naipaul that authors in old age rewrite and not produce anything new.
Subedi said, “At least the idea does not apply to me, because I would rather not publish than repeat.” Sapkota drove Subedi to the latter’s writing journey as well as admired the rich contribution of Subedi in the diverse domains of Nepali literature.

Likewise, critic and reviewer Raj Kumar Baniya interacted with authors Narayan Dhakal and Basanta Basnet on the trends of fiction. Film critic Suraj Subedi interacted with filmmakers Min Bham, Rambabu Gurung and Keki Adhikari about the localness in film making. Uday Adhikari moderated the session on the writing journey with the authors Shailendra Adhikari, Shankar Tiwari and Tika Atreya.

As per the festival coordinator and chairman of the Pratisthan, Prakash Thamsuhang, the festival was successful to bring together around 200 to 300 writers, thinkers, experts from different sectors and create a discourse in Ilam to enrich the literature of Nepal further as well as reflect progress, indigenous culture, art, economy, tourism in the literary productions. He said that as per the federal structure of Nepal, such literary events should also be decentralized and organized in different parts of the country. He added, “Indigenous knowledge should be preserved and brought into mainstream. Events like these help in promotion of ethnic and indigenous knowledge.”