Nepalese Writer and Literature in Australia- My Vision and Plan: Journal 6

15 September- 14 October 2023: Personal Journal 6

Welcome to the sixth edition of my monthly journal, where I document my efforts to promote Nepalese literature and writers (AB) while remaining committed to my vision. I invite you to read along and share your valuable insights to enrich my learning and initiatives.

Pre-Planning Meeting with Women Writers - Friday, September 15, 2023

Once Sanu Ghimire shared an idea to unite Nepali women writers living in Australia for a collaborative project. This initiative aims to provide them with opportunities to create short stories, which will eventually be compiled into a representative collection. Since her idea aligns with my vision of promoting Nepali writers (AB) in Australian mainstream literature, I wholeheartedly supported it and offered my assistance, sharing some of my ideas.

Subsequently, Sanu organized a pre-planning meeting over the phone on September 15, which was attended by Niru Tripathi and Sudira Shah. The meeting concluded with some key discussion points, necessitating further work from the team:

Creating project guidelines and concepts for the short story writing project.

• Ensuring the quality and standards of short stories meet Australian and international norms.
• Writing stories in both English and Nepali, as well as exploring translation options.
• Planning pre- and post-workshops for participating writers, which can be conducted either online or in person.
• Identifying Australian/Nepali facilitators, mentors, and organizations that support the project's concept.
• Managing the publication of the collection.

We are hopeful that this project will gradually become a reality. My best wishes go out to Sanu and all the enthusiastic participants. It's inspiring to see Nepali women writers take the lead in an innovative project that aims to promote their work in Australia, reaching beyond Nepalese readers and audiences.

Interaction Meeting with Sabdamala Nepali Language School - Sunday, September 17, 2023

I believe it would be pertinent to share a piece of information I had with Bishu Ghimire and other team members concerning the discussion on the school curriculum and related tasks. I intend to share more information at the appropriate time.

Nepali Ghazal Fest in Sydney - Saturday, September 23, 2023

I had the pleasure of witnessing a growing passion for Nepali Ghazal in Sydney during the Ghazal event. It was indeed a carnival for Ghazal lovers, where 33 Ghazal writers came together to join the event from various states of Australia, including Melbourne, Brisbane, and Canberra. Civic Theatre, Hurstville, was filled with enthusiasm and cheers throughout the Ghazal recital event, which lasted for almost six hours.

I would like to congratulate Ghazal Mushayara Pariwar for organizing such a captivating, powerful, and wonderful event. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Special thanks to Jitendra Malla, Adarsh Khatri, Keshav Sharma, and other organizing team members for their continued dedication and leadership in promoting Nepali Ghazal in Australia.

SAFAL Festival 2023 and Poetry Slam Competition - Saturday, September 23, 2023

I felt privileged to be a part of the South Asian Film, Arts & Literature (SAFAL) Festival 2023 organized at the North Ryde School of Arts Community Center. Various artists, dancers, performers, and poets participated in various competitions and literature panel discussions that were organized throughout the day.

Personally, I dedicated my time to assisting the Poetry Slam Competition, which was a great success. The competition featured 12 poets from Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Bangladesh and was moderated by Rekha Rajvanshi. Nisprav Saji served as one of the judges. Mrs. Suman Thapa 'Sangam,' Mr. Pradip Tuladhar, and Mrs. Pratigya Adhikari represented Nepal in the competition. Special thanks to Mrs. Sima Roshi for reciting her poem, which entertained the audience.

During the occasion, Dr. Palitha Ganewatta's (Australian-Sri Lankan writer) book, 'A Tale from A Promised Land,' was launched.

Meeting with Mrs. Sima Roshi: Sunday, September 24, 2023 

I met Mrs. Sima Roshi an author and poet at her resident, Wentworthville.  She holds the position of Founder President at NAI Academy Australia. 

We discussed my vision to promote Nepali writers and literature in Australia. Additionally, we explored various potential projects that NAI Academy could undertake. I was excited and optimistic that our meeting would yield positive results soon, paving the way for greater recognition of Australian literature, especially among young and emerging Nepali writers.

During the meeting, I learned about her significant contributions to Nepali literature in Australia over the years. I wanted to express my gratitude for the gift of her poetry collection, 'Mangal Grahako Yatra,' which she kindly shared with me at her residence. I extend my best wishes to her literary endeavors.

Book Introduction - Jeewanka Tarang - Tuesday, September 26, 2023

For the past few months, as part of my vision and plan to promote writers with Nepali heritage and their literature in Australia, I have been introducing books written by Nepali authors based in Australia. I hope this initiative will help showcase Nepali writers and their contributions to both Nepali and Australian literature. I hope you welcome my efforts as an introduction to the books rather than a critical book review. Enjoy reading the introduction to the fourth book review, 'Jeewanka Tarang' by Mamata Tiwari.

Jeewanka Tarang: Expression of emotion and existence - Nepal Live Today Nepal Live Today

Facebook Notice for Book Donation - Tuesday, September 26, 2023

I would like to express my gratitude to The International Nepali Literary Society (INLS) - Sydney Chapter and Parkash Paudel for their initiative to gather books written by Nepali authors and writers residing in Australia. These collected books will be donated to the libraries of three councils: Auburn, Blacktown, and Hurstville.

A notice regarding the book collection and donation has been posted on INLS' Facebook page. Please submit three copies of your books to INLS' representative or Saurav Kiran Shrestha by December 15, 2023. Your contribution will be highly appreciated.

Meeting with Ram Koirala - Saturday, September 30, 2023

I had the pleasure of meeting Ram Koirala, the author of 'Meri Uni ra Ma,' at Two by Four cafe. His book was a personal memoir that touched upon various aspects of his life. During our brief coffee meeting, he graciously shared some of the personal anecdotes from his book, showcasing his profound respect for his mother, grandmother, and UNICEF. He also mentioned that the English version of this book was in progress. I would like to express my heartfelt best wishes for the success of his upcoming book.

Furthermore, Ram Koirala generously provided me with three copies of his book in response to a call from Prakash Paudel (International Nepali Literary Society INLS) to donate books to three libraries in Sydney. I am genuinely grateful for his invaluable contribution and support towards the INLS initiative.

SAFAL 2023's Gala Dinner and Award Night - Saturday, September 30, 2023

Gala Dinner & Awards Night was successfully organized at Pioneer Theatre in Castle Hill, Sydney by the organizing committee of The South Asian Film, Arts & Literature Festival (SAFAL Fest) 2023. SAFAL Fest is an annual event, celebrating the rich and diverse arts, culture, languages & literature of the dynamic South Asian region comprising the eight nations of: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. I felt proud as a member of the SAFAL Fest 2023 organizing committee.

I would like to congratulate Mamata Tiwari for receiving the Community Recognition Award from Mark Hodges, State Member for Castle Hill, in recognition of her significant contribution to Nepali Literature. Congratulations to Bhimsen Gurung for receiving the Significant Contribution Award from Charishma Kaliyanda, State Member for Liverpool, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Nepali Dance.

Heartfelt congratulations to Reva Shah for winning the SAFAL FEST 23 COMPETITION AWARDS in the category of Instrumental Music Under 18 years, and to Sabin Ghising for their outstanding performance in Instrumental Music over 18, making the Nepali community proud. Both of them received their awards from Hon. Peter Gangemi, Mayor of the Hills Shire Council.

I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Sudhira Shah, Nisparbh Saji, and Mamata Misra for their outstanding representation of Nepal and their generous dedication of time and expertise as judges and panelists for Poetry Slam, Non-Fiction Literature, and Fiction Literature, respectively, on September 23, 2023.

This remarkable event also presented awards to other talented artists from across South Asia, who presented a captivating array of performances such as dance, singing, poetry, paintings, and photography. I want to extend my gratitude to SAFAL 2023 Director Saliya Tennakoon and the organizing team, including Kedarnath Pagaddinnimath, Ash Gholkar, Sanu Ghimire, and others.

Interaction with Ken P, Lyricist and Musician - Thursday, October 12, 2023

I had a very cordial interaction with Ken P over FaceTime (online). Kened Pradhan is well known as Ken P in his musical and literary circles. He is a versatile personality working for the promotion of Nepali heritage and language through his song, music, and poems. He is originally from Darjeeling, India, whose ancestry shares Nepali heritage. I met him first in the cultural event organized by Nepalese Indigenous Nationalities Forum Australia (NINFA) to commemorate the International Day of the World's Indigenous People 2023 at Petersham Town Hall, NSW on August 13, 2023.

During the online meeting, he shared his passion toward mother language, Nepali heritage, and its importance to him. For him, music and song are the creative medium to feel closeness toward the language and land that he had to leave behind. Philosophic by heart, he told some stories behind his poems and his journey in poem writing in the Nepali language. He also shared his rough experience about publishing three collections which didn't turn out very well. He has also composed and produced several songs and officially uploaded videos on his YouTube channel.

As a reader, I provided some general feedback on his three poetry collections: Kenp's Book of Poetry, Reflections (2017), and Aabhash (2019). I extended my best wishes for his 4th edition of the book. I really admire his continued contribution toward Nepali culture and his role in bridging the gap between all Nepali people coming from two different geographies separated by political maps - India and Nepal and living in Australia.

In summary, this month thrilled me to share the progress and exciting events related to my mission of promoting Nepali literature and authors in Australia.

I expressed my gratitude to The International Nepali Literary Society (INLS) - Sydney Chapter for its initiation to collecting books authored by Nepalis writers in Australia, which will be donated to local libraries. It's a heartening initiative that underscores the value of preserving and sharing our literary heritage.

Another key highlight is a pre-planning meeting I attended with women writers, led by the visionary Sanu Ghimire. This meeting focused on uniting Nepali women writers living in Australia for a collaborative short story project. 

Additionally, I shared my experiences and insights from various cultural events and meetings, all of which contribute to the larger goal of enriching Nepali literature and fostering connections within Australia and other parts of the world. 

It's truly inspiring to witness the passion and dedication of individuals who are working diligently to bring our culture and literature to the forefront in Australia, like Ghazal Mushayara Pariwar, Ken P and others.