At Kathmandu

After three days of readings, workshops and literary discussions, the Kathmandu Literature Festival came to a close on Sunday, September 18. The festival, which took place in the Patan Durbar complex in the ancient part of the city, was the first of its kind in Nepal. The topics covered pertained to Nepal as also South Asia in both a socio-political and literary context.
The festival hosted 30 national and 10 international writers, William Dalrymple, Tarun Tejpal, Mohammed Hanif and Shazia Omar.
With the first Kathmandu Literary Jatra behind her, Suvani Singh, festival director, says "We will most certainly try to make it happen every year. It will happen if this event continues to enjoy the support we have received this time."
In a discussion on the topic of "Selling Out or Telling it Like It Is? Getting Real in South Asian Literature" along with international and national authors P Sivakami, Shazia Omar, Alka Saraogi, and Rabi Thapa, Shazia Omar spoke about the emerging voices from Bangladesh that represent varied aspects of local realities. She encouraged international publishers to explore the growing literary talent in our country and said the upcoming Hay Festival, scheduled for late November in Dhaka, would be an ideal opportunity for such interactions