Nepali Writers and Literature in Australia – My Vision, Plan, and Action: Journal 33

16 March 2026 – 15 April 2026 | Personal Journal 33

I welcome readers to the 33rd edition of my monthly journal, which covers activities and reflections. As many of you know, this journal is dedicated to showcasing and promoting Australia-based Nepali literature and writers. This initiative aligns with my vision of fostering a vibrant, connected, and collaborative literary community. I warmly invite everyone to join me on this journey and share their valuable insights to enrich our collective learning and creative endeavours.

INLS Children’s Literary Program - Saturday, 21 March 2026

The Children’s Literary Program, organised by the International Nepali Literary Society (INLS) NSW Chapter on Saturday, 21 March 2026, at Grand Palace Function Centre, Auburn, was successfully held with the aim of nurturing children’s literary talents.

Around 20 children showcased their creativity through poetry, short stories, essays, personal reflections, and dance performances. In recognition of their efforts, all participating children, as well as those present on the occasion, were awarded certificates and prizes by Nari Nikunja NSW Coordinator Asha Shrestha and senior literary figure Saurav Kiran Shrestha.

Heartfelt congratulations to the President Dr. Prakash Poudel, General Secretary Bhabana Parajuli, Jenisha Gautam, the organizing committee for the successful event. And special thanks to Raju Manandhar and Lukla TV for media coverage and encouragement.

Nepali Literature and Cultural Expression – Literary Festival 2026- Saturday, 28 March 2026

March 2026 became a very special month for Nepali literature and authors in Sydney. More than 100 participants, including children, attended the Nepali Literature and Cultural Expression – Literary Festival 2026, held on 28 March 2026 for the first time at Max Webber Library, Blacktown, on the occasion of International Mother Language Day.

This may have been the first event in Australia where 16 published authors from a Nepali language background were honoured and felicitated on a single stage, with their books also showcased.
The event was successfully held after a long process of detailed planning and the enthusiastic efforts of the working committee, authors, poets, children, and parents. The event was directed by Saurav Kiran Shrestha, coordinated by Sanu Ghimire, and emceed by Divya Shri Acharya. Special thanks to Prakirti Shrestha, President of BNC; Prakash Poudel, President of INLS; Suman Chhetri, President of ABN; and Richa Gautam for their valuable support and leadership in their respective sessions of the program.

This event was organised in collaboration with the Blacktown Nepalese Community, the International Nepali Literary Society – Sydney Chapter, and the Association of Bhutanese in Australia, with support from Blacktown City Library.

The program ran for almost four hours and was conducted in the following four sessions.

1. Authors’ Recognition and Book Showcase

In the opening session, we felt privileged to have Councillor Susai Benjamin OAM from Blacktown City Council as a special guest. In his presence, we appreciated and acknowledged all participating authors — Om Dhungel, Janaki Paudel, Nisprabh Saji, Sanu Ghimire, Shweta Mainali, Sima Roshi, Pragya Paneru, Prakash Panthi, Asmit Regmi, Kedar Pokhrel, Bharat Rai, Mamata Tiwari, Prabin Tandon, Kumar Sharma, Bhabana Parajuli, Maheshwar Sharma, and Saurav Kiran Shrestha — for their continuous contribution to the Nepali language and for promoting literature within Australia’s diverse multicultural society.

2. Poetry Recitation
   The second session of the event, dedicated to poetry recitation, was a grand success. It was marked by both the high quality of the poems and the powerful performances of 20 poets: Shweta Mainali, Sanu Ghimire, Nisprabh Saji, Prakash Poudel, Bishal Khadka, Pragya Paneru, Badal Phokhrel, Kumar Sharma, Bharat Rai, Janaki Paudel, Prabin Tandon, Bhabana Parajuli, Buddhi Sagar, Richa Gautam, Santosh Timilsina-Sharma, Komal Khatiwada, Prakash Panthi, Raju Manandhar, Kamal Shishir, and Asmit Regmi.

Guest singer Mathura Shrestha also performed the song Jahan Chhan Buddhaka Aankha. The audience received every recitation with great enthusiasm and appreciation.
Special thanks to Sanu ji and Shweta ji for their extra effort in delivering a meaningful and memorable poetry performance. It was noted that their performance received more than 4,280 likes, was shared by 820 people, and viewed over 108,000 times on Kitab Adda’s TikTok platform.

Sincere thanks also to Abbas Raza Alvi for his inspiring presence and poetry recitation. A respected community leader, poet, musician, and writer, he creates in Urdu and Hindi and uses arts and culture to foster harmony and reduce social divisions. We hope Nepali poets will have opportunities to collaborate with him in creative initiatives in the future.

3. Cultural Performance

The third session of the event was both entertaining and uplifting. Spectacular cultural performances were presented by children representing the second generation of the Nepali and Nepali-speaking Bhutanese community. It was truly a proud moment for parents and the audience to witness the passing of cultural values, language, and traditions to the younger generation.

This cultural session was coordinated by Samjhana Pathshala under the Blacktown Nepali Community. Dance performances were also presented by children representing the Nepali-speaking Bhutanese community, with support from the Bhutanese Association in Australia. Likewise, students and teacher Sabhyata from Pahilo Step – The Nepali Dance School also performed beautifully.

Sincere thanks to all the children, their parents, and teachers for continuing to encourage children to speak the Nepali language at home and to participate in Nepali gatherings and events. It was truly a proud moment for all of us.

4. Panel Discussion on the Book Mahabi Mika

The final session of the event was designed for interested participants, serious writers, authors, and lovers of literature. This session featured a critical panel discussion on the novel Mahabi Mika, written by Sydney-based Nepali author Prakash Panthi.

The novel has become one of the most widely discussed books among Nepali readers in both Australia and Nepal. The panel included author Prakash Panthi, along with Dev Pathak and Pragya Paneru. The discussion was moderated by Sanu Ghimire.

During the session, several important questions were raised. One focused on what inspired the author to write Mahabi Mika. In response, Prakash Panthi shared that he had read several works of world literature based on magical realism and surrealism, which inspired him to write the novel. He also revealed that he completed the book in just 14 days.

Dev Pathak observed that Nepali literature has long been dominated by writing centred mainly on social issues. He noted that readers are now looking for something with a different flavour, and in that context, Mahabi Mika offers a fresh and distinctive literary experience. He also described the novel as mind-bending in its imagination and approach.
Pragya Paneru reflected on how women characters were portrayed in the novel and examined whether the writer had done justice to them.

 

When the floor was opened for the Q&A session, participants raised an interesting question about whether rewriting or editing a published book is advisable. This could become an important topic for a future event, exploring national and international practices and their outcomes in greater depth.
Thanks to all the enthusiastic participants, panellists, and the moderator for making this session highly interactive and engaging. Their thoughtful contributions made the discussion lively and inspiring, encouraging other writers to explore unique subjects and styles in their own writing.

INLS – Sydney Chapter: Literary Souvenir Update
As a member of the editorial group, I have contributed my time and skills to the development of the souvenir/magazine, helping ensure the quality of articles, poems, and other creative works. This time, I focused on advising and working on the magazine’s cover design and naming, drafting the editorial, and reviewing articles collected from past presidents of the organisation.
I sincerely appreciate Prakash Poudel (President, INLS) for his dedication and hard work in bringing the magazine into the final shape and standard expected for launch during the INLS AGM in April 2026.

This month has been deeply meaningful for me as I witnessed the growing strength of Nepali literature and culture in Sydney. Seeing children confidently express themselves through language, poetry, and performance gave me hope for the future of our community. The Literary Festival showed that collaboration, vision, and dedication can create something historic and inspiring. I felt proud to contribute through planning, coordination, and editorial work while learning from writers, artists, and community leaders around me. Special thanks to Sanu Ghimire ji for always standing for the cause and working together to promote and showcase Nepali writers and literature in Australia. I truly appreciate her leadership,  readiness to contribute, dedication, and passion for Nepali literature and language. These experiences reminded me that preserving language and literature requires collective effort, persistence, and generosity. I remain motivated to continue this journey.