Kathmandu (dpa) - Inspiration was the goal Thursday as Nepal opened its first international literary festival.
"When I attended the Jaipur Literary Festival in India two years ago, it inspired me to complete my first novel," participant and novelist Buddhi Sagar said. "I think that's the kind of impact these festivals have on writers and readers."
The first day of the Nepal Literature Festival in Kathmandu saw a large turnout despite monsoonal weather. Its four days are to feature writers from Nepal and other countries in the Indian subcontinent.
"India has a tradition of literary festivals, and we thought it would be good to encourage similar interactions between the writers and their readers here as well," said Ajit Baral of Bookworm Trust, a non-profit organization and one of the organizers of the festival.
"The objective of the festival is to further discourse on Nepali writing and promote Nepali literature internationally," Baral said.
The event is featuring Nepali fiction writer Sharada Sharma, Bangaldeshi writer Taslima Nasrin and Indian model-turned-writer Ira Trivedi. Former BBC correspondent and writer Mark Tully was scheduled to also discuss reporting in South Asia at the festival.
Nasrin - who gained a global name for herself with her feminist views and criticism of Islamic tenets, which led to threats, protests and her exile from Bangladesh - was to launch her new book at the festival and talk about her writing life.
"We did not have such festivals in the past because literary events were usually organized by the government and there was so much bureaucracy involved in such events, they got lost in the process," Sagar said. "But the younger generation in Nepal is more active in art and literature now, and these fields are becoming more glamorous."
The first day of the festival saw discussions between writers and readers on the craft and content of Nepali literature. The festival was to also take up poetry, theatre, films and the media.
It was organized by the Bookworm Trust and the telecommunications company Ncell Private Ltd.
Nepal's second international literary festival, Nepal Literary Jatra, is to follow on its heels. It is planned for September.
dpa pt ls
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