Bishow Bimohan Shrestha, 67, is a poet from Tehrathum in Eastern Nepal. He has authored many poetry collections as well as written lyrics for more than a dozen songs. For his significant contribution to Nepali literature, he has been awarded the ‘Pragya Pratisthan Award’ and ‘Ratna Shree Swarna Padak’. He is currently the executive chairman at Apec Nepal, a literary and cultural institution. In a conversation with ApEx, Shrestha spoke about his love for poems and all things literary. 

What made you want to write poems?

I started when I was in school. In 1967, I participated in a poetry writing competition on children’s day and got an award for it. Since then, I’ve been writing poems. In 1987, my first poetry book ‘Bishow Bimohan Ka Kehi Kabitaharu’ got published. ‘Euta Gantabya ko Khojima’ was published by Sanjha Publication in the following year. After that, ‘Angar Ka Dhamila Dharsha haru’, ‘Ma Bhat Joru Ki Kavita Lekhu’, and an English poetry collection eventually got published. Now, I am working on another collection which will be published as soon as I finalize the manuscript.

How has your literary journey been so far?

Literary celebrations like ‘Kavi Gosthi’ were exceptionally important to every writer around 40 years back, since holding a literary conference was a big deal unlike now. In 1980, I joined the Association of Literary Journalists as a member and later held the position of chairman. Let’s say that we were the pioneers of such literary initiatives. 

We used to gather talented writers from all over Nepal in Kathmandu and give them a platform to interact with journalists, established authors, and other literary organizations. During this time, I served there for 20 years and organized various literary forums, international literary events, and many other programs. I treasure these experiences. I believe that what I have accomplished as a poet so far is a result of my ongoing commitment to supporting talented Nepali writers and promoting Nepali literature. 

What does your writing schedule/style look like? 

I write poems, though not exclusively. But when I do, I pour all my feelings into it. After a few days, I review it with a fresh mind before editing and rewriting my work. My mood is what drives me to write. I still have a ton of unfinished manuscripts in my drawer that need to be updated. In my writing, I generally use imagery and metaphors to express emotions. In my earlier works, imagery was particularly used to capture the beauty of the natural world. But now imagery mostly captures the theme of disorder, hypocrisy, and corruption of the world. I even use references from myths to make my idea clear. 

I want my work to have meaning. I want it to reflect people’s aspirations. A writer’s success depends on how well he can connect with his readers. That’s why I do my best to avoid redundancy and try to tap into people’s emotions.

My writings mainly focus on the natural world, affection, aging, nationalism, current affairs, political disparities, and humankind. The majority of my writings are about societal challenges. 

How difficult is it to be a writer?

Writers today are far luckier than writers of our time. Ratna Pustak Bhandar, Sanjha Prakashan, and Pragya Pratisthan were a few publication houses back then. But today, there are many new platforms like the internet, television, and newspapers. If someone wants to write, there are a lot of opportunities to get their work out there. 

What do you think of the current situation of Nepali literature?

Poetry, in particular, has improved. Lekhnath Paudyal, Hari Bhakta Katuwal, Laxmi Prasad Devkota, and Gopal Prasad Rimal are a few prominent Nepali authors who deserve a special mention for their contributions to advancing the field of Nepali literature from a thematic and contextual standpoint. I don’t think the government is concerned with promoting Nepali literature. But there is a lot of scope in it and Nepali literature can become popular globally if we can promote it well. 

Shrestha’s Picks

Sarwakaleen Pinda Ra Jagritika Shankhaghosh by Usha Sherchan

In this book, Usha Sherchan reflects on the discrimination faced by women in epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana. She relates them to the current situation of women in political and societal contexts, giving it a feminist perspective. 

Kavita Ko Rang by Rajendra Shalabh

‘Kavita Ko Rang’ by Rajendra Shalabh is a kind of poem that selflessly symbolizes different aspects of our family, society, culture, and especially our mothers in a way that gives you goosebumps. The language is simple and the story is very relatable. 

Ghumne Mech Mathi Andho Manche by Bhupi Sherchan

‘Ghumne Mech Mathi Andho Manche’ is a Nepali poetry collection that was awarded Sajha Puraskar in 1969. It’s very inspiring and uplifting. It gives readers a different perspective on what a society must be like and inspires them to look forward to a change.