10 Writers From Nepal To Join As Speakers At Kalinga Literary Festival

Ten writers from Nepal will join as speakers at the Kalinga Literary Festival in India. Nepalese billionaire, philanthropist and literary figure Dr Binod Chaudhary will be the guest of honour and speaker while popular Nepali writers journalist Buddhi Sagar, Basanta Basnet, Rohini Rana, Ranjana Niraula Pawan Thapa, Aryak Ranjan Baral and translator Ken Subedh will be among the speakers. The writers will participate in over 10 sessions and two sessions will be held exclusively in the Nepali language. 

Buddhisagar (born June 2, 1981) is a Nepalese writer and poet. He is best known for his novels 'Karnali Blues' and 'Phirphire'. He was passionate about writing and his his poems were played on radios at an early age. He moved to Kathmandu after completing his schooling.

Buddhisagar published his first novel, 'Karnali Blues', in the autumn of 2010, and it was warmly received and widely praised. It is written in Nepali but several of its characters speak in Tharu and the Jumli dialect of Nepali. The novel is set in recent times and centres upon the central character's relationship with his father, who lies dying in a hospital bed. 'Karnali Blues' was translated into English by Professor Michael J Hutt with the same title and was published in 2021 by Penguin Books.

He published his second novel, 'Phirphire' in 2016. His third novel, 'Eklo' was released in December 2022.

Basanta Basnet is a Nepalese journalist and writer. He is an editor at Online Khabar, an online news portal. He started working at Online Khabar on July 17, 2022, after resigning from Shilapatra. Earlier, he worked at Kantipur (daily) as a political correspondent. He was also an editor at Nepal Magazine, which used to be published by Kantipur Publications.

He has published three books. His first book '72 Ko Bismay' was published on September 8, 2018. The book is a political non-fiction about the 2015 Nepal earthquake and the events that followed after the promulgation of the constitution of Nepal in 2015 (2072 Bikram Sambat [BS]). 

His second book, 'Mahabhara', is a novel set in eastern Nepal during the Nepalese Civil War. It was published on January 8, 2022, by FinePrint Publication. He published his third book, 'Simsara', on October 3, 2024.

Dr Binod K Chaudhary is the chairman of Chaudhary Group, Nepal, and CG Corp Global, a multi-dimensional conglomerate with a complementary business portfolio that comprises 160 companies and 123 brands present on five continents and in 27 countries. Dr Chaudhary has a net worth in excess of $1.5 billion and his companies employ over 15,000 people.

Dr Chaudhary's determination to expand his grandfather's business across the globe has catapulted him into one of Nepal's most innovative changemakers.

The businessman is a global player in fast-moving consumer goods and the brain behind Wai Wai, CG's iconic brand that earned him the epithet of 'Noodle King'. Thanks to Wai Wai, he has an over 2.6 per cent share of the world's noodle market.

His other business interests include education, hospitality and financial services, which are among the nine business verticals he runs within CG. Dr Chaudhary's drive and dedication are his strengths. He proved an entrepreneur can do business in Nepal and still emerge a billionaire - the only one from the Himalayan republic listed by Forbes.

Rohini Rana was born in India and got married to General Gaurav SJB Rana (former Chief of Army Staff, Nepal Army) in Nepal in 1977. During her life as an army wife, she has played the part of a homemaker, social worker, entrepreneur and restaurateur. Cooking is her life's passion. After the success of her first book, 'The Rana Cookbook: Recipes from the Palaces of Nepal' (published in 2021), Rohini Rana continues her foray into the rich culinary traditions of Nepal, which are as varied as its terrain. The culmination of this journey is 'The Nepal Cookbook: 108 Regional Recipes'.

Noted poet and writer Ranjana Niraula is a multifaceted personality from Nepal who juggles multiple roles in her daily life with equal panache. From being a popular poet in Nepali and English literature with a penchant for weaving magic with her beautiful words and pictures to being a poet, editor, panelist, researcher, philanthropist, academic, humanist, literary critic, curator and speaker, she handles each role with elan and confidence with the sole motive of excelling and living up to the high expectations from her legions of fans spread across Nepal as well as the subcontinent. She received KLF Book Awards for her Nepali book 'Anubhuti Ka Abataran'. Her new English poetry book 'The Rhythm of Pain' will be officially launched during the festival.  

Suman Barsha has made significant contributions to contemporary Nepali literature through her novels and short stories. Her recent work, 'Abhyantar', is a collection of 18 short stories that delve into themes ranging from social issues and environmental concerns to science fiction and robotics.  This anthology showcases her versatility and depth as a storyteller, reflecting the complexities of modern society.

Before 'Abhyantar', Suman Barsha authored two novels, further establishing her footprint in the literary world. Her storytelling is characterised by a unique blend of traditional and contemporary narratives, offering readers fresh perspectives on familiar themes.

Ken Subedi is a professional Nepali translator and runs a translation company, Wordinvent. He is a part of the translation team at Global Press Journal, inDrive, Translated and British Council among others. He has translated four children's story collections from English to Nepali, originally written by Cao Wenxuan in Chinese. He is a feature writer at Annapurna Express, an English national daily where he reviews books and covers arts and literature. He also writes - especially book reviews - regularly in Nepali for Nepali national dailies.

Pawan Thapa Magar is a writer, translator, filmmaker, and social/political activist. Mr Thapa recently translated the Hindi play 'Loi Chalai Kavira Sath' into Nepali. He has also created video archives on YouTube featuring Nepali poetry, including works in Hindi and numerous other local languages, and has been running a campaign to promote reading culture through these video-based initiatives. Thapa has long advocated for social justice, consistently speaking out and fighting for the cause. He upholds the belief that literature should dismantle the political borders erected between nations. He is actively involved in Nepal's civil movement groups while simultaneously writing narratives documenting these efforts.

Aryak Ranjan Baral is an entrepreneur and cultural activist from Nepal based in Kathmandu. 

Powerhouse Of Writers, Speakers

The annual iconic Kalinga Literary Festival (KLF) will be held from March 21-23 at the Mayfair Convention in the temple city of Bhubaneswar. The festival will showcase a powerhouse of writers, speakers, thinkers, and humanitarians from all walks of life. The literary extravaganza will see a spectacular range of diversity, represented by 10 countries and over 25 languages.

For its 2025 edition, the festival will host over 500 speakers across nationalities, as well as recipients of major awards such as the Sahitya Akademi and many more. It will feature a range of themes including the ongoing climate justice debate under the urgency of borrowed time; the great women writers and artists focusing on the female voice and identity; crime fiction; memoir; translation; poetry; economics; tech morality; artificial intelligence; the global crisis; cutting-edge science; India and the World, art and photography; and health and medicine.

Kalinga Literary Festival is well known for its socially relevant themes and compels all 'creative' people to think and articulate 'the contemporary'. It is set to embark on its 11th edition, knitting together a mosaic of diverse literary forms ranging from poetry and politics to art and athletics. Like its past editions, the KLF has a hard-hitting theme for writers, poets, and artists to ponder on this year. The festival's beating heart, themed "Literature and the world: Inclusion, Identity and Belonging," will pulse with the collective rhythm of over 400 esteemed speakers, including poets, musicians, artists, and performers. 

In a reverent celebration of our shared heritage, the festival aims to rekindle the flame of inspiration from our ancestors' wisdom, demonstrating its profound relevance in today's world.