Nepalaya unveiled a collection of stories, poems, and essays by 75 young writers under the age of 25 on Saturday in Kathmandu. Narayan Wagle, Shravan Mukarung, and Bhushita Vashistha praised the creativity and intellectual maturity of the young authors, calling the day historic. The literary festival, held on the occasion of Nepalaya’s 20th anniversary, featured not only readings but also discussions and interactions on various narrative subjects. Nepalaya’s Arshala in Kalikasthan, Kathmandu, was packed to capacity. The event was distinguished by the presence of fresh young faces rather than the familiar faces usually seen in literary gatherings. Alka Atreya Chudal, a faculty member at the University of Vienna in Austria, remarked, “I was amazed to see such enthusiasm among young people for reading and writing. They are buying books and showing a renewed interest in literature. Today’s scene was truly beautiful.”
Last year, Nepalaya issued a call for submissions of stories, poems, and essays (Kakani) by writers under 25. The works of the 75 selected writers were unveiled on Saturday. Bringing together 25 storytellers, 25 poets, and 25 essayists under 25, this gathering ushered a new wave of creative voices into Nepalaya’s fold. The young authors congratulated each other for becoming writers at such a young age. Arya Nirola, a selected poet from Dharan who is currently an undergraduate psychology student in Kathmandu, said, “I found a platform that seemed impossible for me before.”
The story section of the published book features works by Ajay Karki, Anita Dhital, Anushka Lamichhane, Amit Bhattarai, Arya Adhikari, Ishan Dhakal, Umesh Karki, Kaviraj Kshetri, Kritisha Amatya, Tej Kumar Rai, Deepak Gautam, Deepika Khatiwada, Naveen Dhamala, Nischal Bhandari, Nirav, Pariksha Sharma, Pranika Shrestha, Prashant Wagle ‘Prakritik’, Madhusudan Ghimire, Rodinalal Shrestha, Shivraj Shahi, Samarpan Nyaupane, Samin Gaire, Suman Paudel, and Somanath Luitel. Narayan Wagle held an hour-long open dialogue with these selected storytellers and narrators. The selector said, “Reading your storytelling style and craftsmanship amazed me. Hearing your mature questions and perspectives today reminded me of the Jenji narrative movement.”
Similarly, the poetry section includes works by Anita Tiwari, Anupa Gaire, Arya Nirola, Utsav Acharya, Usha Limbu, Kamman Rawal, Gayatri Nepal, Gaurav Nyaupane, Johnson Shrestha, Dolma Lama, Teerth Raj Bishwakarma, Durga Khatiwada, Naveen Kumar Nepali, Naran Nyaupane, Prajwal Lohani, Pradeep Yonghang, Prisha Shashi, Yukta Sunuwar, Rasila Dhamala, Shrabhya Arya, Samriddha Hamal, Sujata Basyal, Sudarshan Prakash Khadka, Suranga Sedhai, and Spandan Jha. These poets participated in another open session moderated by poet and narrator Shravan Mukarung. “Your poems made me feel like an old worn-out coat; this is your time,” Shravan said. “I recommend your works to anyone seeking fresh voices.”
The essay section features selections from Anukrit Lamichhane, Aviral Jagri, Kanchan Kumar Basnet, Kavindra Joshi, Krisha Dahal, Jayani Pandit, Jigyasa Sonam, Dheeraj Pratap Malla Thakuri, Numa Thamsuhang, Parimal Prakash Nepal, Bhumika Tharu, Manswi Bantawa, Mamta Ghimire, Mahita Shrestha, Mohan Sangram, Vikram Nepal, Binod Lamichhane, Vivek Bhattarai, Shunya Nayan, Salina Bastola, Sanyog Basyal, Sanskriti Rizal, Sanjila Khanal, Sagar Ghale, and Sapeksh. Essayist Bhushita Vashistha connected online with emerging essayists. “Reading your works was not only delightful but also educational for me,” she said. “Your themes, styles, and literary maturity are beautiful.”
The three selectors — Shravan Mukarung, Narayan Wagle, and Bhushita Vashistha — engaged in conversations with the 75 contributing authors. Some writers participated online from abroad or outside Kathmandu. The youthful writers’ mature thoughts, sharp questioning, and deep curiosity impressed all three selectors. Shravan remarked, “Today is a historic day in Nepali literature, where strong writers have emerged with creative and intellectual intervention.”
“Our journey, which began with the publication of the novel “Palpasa Cafe,” has reached 20 years, and in this context, we sought new generation writers,” said Kiran Krishna Shrestha, team leader of Nepalaya. “Meeting so many enthusiastic young authors in one place, I see our literary community expanding.” In 2025, a call titled “25 Under 25” was issued openly. “The participation from across the world was encouraging,” said chief editor and convener Bimal Acharya. “The strong presence of the youth has unlocked new opportunities in literature.” Acharya also noted that the call challenged the view that young people neither read nor write and carried out related research documented in three books under the “Kakani Story” theme. Nepalaya organized a literary festival on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. with various programs. Among them, historian and sociologist Lokaranjan Parajuli, author of the book “Sandhikal,” delivered the keynote speech titled “Libraries and Reading Traditions in Nepal.” He offered insightful comments on the importance and need for public libraries to the young authors.
Nepalaya also hosted a panel discussion titled “Contemporary Narrative,” moderated by Srijana Khadka, featuring the authors Narayan Dhakal (author of “Jagajjanani Unki Amako Naam Hoina”), Shravan Mukarung (author of “Salah”), and Om Rizal (author of “Paikelo”). The festival concluded with a documentary film screening on the Nepal tour of 2004 by the Nepathya band. Additionally, Nepalaya announced the formation of a film club at Arshala on the third Friday of every English month. A set of three books featuring young writers’ stories, poems, and essays is priced at NPR 1995 and is available at bookstores nationwide, various websites, and worldwide via Amazon.
