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Nepal: Tragedy Meets Hope through Literature

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Nature, Writing and The Spirit come together in the Himalayan Literature FestivalHLF 2027

Nepal: Tragedy Meets Hope through Literature.

 

NEPAL. The tragedy is the glacial-collapse and flash-flood disaster between Nepal and Tibet on 26 August 2026. It was devastating as the Langtang Lirung glacier/ice-rock mass collapsed. The avalanche became a huge torrent of water, mud and rock, producing catastrophic flooding totally wiping out villages, power stations, buildings. Impacted by climate change, the collapse was horrific as people ran to try and save their lives. A moving moment, was after the flood, when the Nepalese Police Force, heard a child whimper. After 60 hours buried under rubble and mud, they pulled the little girl out and saved Manisha. To date, there are more than 1,385 bodies recovered; 5,130 people missing;  13,600 people rescued, more  deaths expected. Travel and tourism is impacted dramatically. Travel and tourism’s  contribution to Nepal's economy is about 6.6% of GDP. It supports 1.19 million jobs, equal to 15.2% of national employment, and is a major source of foreign-exchange. Australia and countries from around the world are giving support to Nepal, but the outcome is shattering.

 

This is where tragedy meets hope. The Himalayan Literature Festival (HLF) & Writers’ Workshop to be held May 26^th to 5^th June 2027 is about hope. It is South Asia’s premier international literary gathering, bringing together distinguished writers, poets, translators, editors, publishers, scholars, filmmakers, artists, and emerging voices from around the world. The Nepalese poet, “the world-renowned Himalayan poet,” (The Guardian) Yuyutsu Sharma is Director of the HLF with Sukrity Sharma the Executive Director and Shreejana Bhandari  Director . To be held in Kathmandu May 26 to June 5^th 2027, it is an extraordinary experience with international writers focusing on nature and the spirit.

Even at this darkest time, the Himalayan Literature Festival celebrates the relationship between nature, travel, place, spirituality, and storytelling. The festival invites participants to discover how landscapes shape imagination and how journeys transform creative practice. The sessions include visits to ancient temples, Buddhist monasteries, Himalayan villages, and UNESCO World Heritage Sites throughout the Kathmandu Valley.

 

Set against the spectacular backdrop of the Himalayas, this immersive eight-day program combines creative writing workshops, masterclasses, panel discussions, public readings, literary excursions, cultural experiences, and the internationally acclaimed Himalayan Literature Festival.

 

Renowned speakers includes Peter Salisbury, a British screenwriter and documentary filmmaker with a lifelong passion for cinematic storytelling. It will also showcase Jean Hanff Korelitzn author of nine acclaimed novels, including The Sequel, The Latecomer, and The Plot with her novel You Should Have Known  adapted by David E. Kelley into HBO’s acclaimed series The Undoing, starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant. Her York Times bestselling novel Admission was adapted into feature film.

 

Tracy K. Smith author of five poetry collections, is a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, memoirist, editor, translator and librettist. She served as the 22nd Poet Laureate of the United States from 2017-19, during which time she spearheaded American Conversations: Celebrating Poetry in Rural Communities with the Library of Congress, launched the American Public Media podcast The Slowdown, and edited the anthology American Journal: Fifty Poems for Our Time.Smith is a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets, an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the American Philosophical Society, and the Boylston Professor of Rhetoric and Oratory at Harvard University.

 

Agnes Marton a Hungarian-born poet, writer, editor, and curator, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, founding member of Phoneme Media (USA), Reviews Editor of The Ofi Press Mexico, and Art Curator at One Hand Clapping (UK). Her multidisciplinary work brings together poetry, visual art, ecology, science, and performance. Her exhibitions and projects have been presented internationally, including at the British Library, London; the Court of Justice of the European Union, Luxembourg; and through projects in the USA, UK, Sweden, Switzerland, New Zealand, and South Africa.

 

Colm Tóibín is one of the world’s most acclaimed contemporary writers, acclaimed for his luminous prose, emotional depth, and masterful explorations of memory, identity, exile, and belonging. He is the author of twelve novels, including the internationally acclaimed Brooklyn, The Master, Nora Webster, and Long Island, as well as three collections of short stories. His poetry collection, Vinegar Hill, was published in 2022. Translated into more than thirty languages, Tóibín’s work has earned numerous international honours, including the prestigious David Cohen Prize for Literature, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to literature. His novel Brooklyn was adapted into an Academy Award-nominated film. He serves as the Irene and Sidney B. Silverman Professor of Humanities at Columbia University in New York.

 An exciting introduction into the festival is the Australian component. Dr Sharon Rundle was invited to develop an Australian stream with outstanding Australian authors including Professor Bem Le Hunt, Sri-Lankan-Australian writer Devika Brendan, Fiona MacDonald, Uma Srinivasan, Manisha Amin, Julia MacKay-Koelen, Indra Bengal Halder, Susanne Gervay OAM and Sharon Rundle.

 

Highlights include Meenakshi Bharat and Sharon Rundle who co-edited five Indo-Australian anthologies of short fiction, which include Relatively True, stories of Truth, Deception and Post Truth, Glass Walls: Stories of Tolerance and Intolerance. Only Connect: Technology and Us, Alien Shores: Asylum Seekers and Refugees, Fear Factor: Terror Incognito with stories by diverse writers from the Indian subcontinent and Australia authors. Susanne Gervay OAM reach both adult and youth audiences as she explores nature and peace in her picture book Elephants Have Wings inspired by South East Asia and other works for all ages. Professor Bem Le Hunte’s deep dive into spirit is an exciting panel on hope and integral to the Australian offerings.

 

High Commissioner to India Rt Hon Barry O'Farrell

endorses the works of Australian-SEAsian friendship.

 

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

The complete registration package includes:
• Eight nights’ accommodation with breakfast
• Eight intensive creative writing workshops
• Masterclasses with internationally acclaimed faculty
• Panel discussions on literature, publishing, translation, ecology, and travel writing
• Public poetry and fiction readings
• Faculty readings and participant showcase
• Welcome Reception
• Festival dinners and networking events
• Cultural excursions to temples, monasteries, and heritage sites
• Traditional music and cultural performances
• Free writing time and optional literary excursions
• Airport transfers and local transportation
• Admission to all Festival events
The workshop culminates in the Three-Day Himalayan Literature Festival, featuring internationally renowned authors from Asia, Europe, North America, Africa, Australia, and Latin America.

Dedicated to Lekhnath Paudyal one of Nepal's celebrated poets.

 

Bookings now open. Details available [email protected]; https://hlf.whitelotusbookshop.com/

 

Media.

For interviews with the Australian authors, they are keen to share why they are travelling to Nepal. Why it is important to share literature. Why the diversity of voices brings understanding. They authors come from varied backgrounds including refugee, Sri Lankan, Indian, British and varied ethnicities to become Australian.

 

Australian Contact is Susanne - [email protected]; 0413 050 922

Contact details:

Media Contact:-

Sukrity Sharma Executive Director

Shreejana Bhandari - Director
Contact - [email protected]| [email protected]

Website: https://hlf.whitelotusbookshop.com/

Call directly: +977 – 9803171925, 01-5420248

Susanne Gervay (Australia)  – [email protected]; 0413 050 922