The 12th edition of the Nepal Literature Festival (NLF 2025) is being held in Pokhara from Falgun 15 to 18. Bookworm Foundation, the organizer has announced the mega event promising it to be more special and exciting. Ncell Foundation is presenting the mega event that will see Nepal’s popular figures headlining different segments at the 4-day event in the tourism capital.
Bookwork Foundation calls NLF 2025 a Kumbha Mela of Literature, carnival of literature to make it clearer. Like in previous editions, the event takes place at Barahighat, Lakeside, Pokhara. The festival will attract literature lovers from home and abroad to one place under one roof.
Communication Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung will inaugurate the big event.
Table of contents
- Ncell is the official presenter of the Nepal Literature Festival 2025
- From scholars, actors, to musicians, all at the NLF 2025
- Discussion on wide range of topics
- More book launches and literary discussions
- The festival aims at encouraging new generation of writers and thinkers
- Ncell Foundation delight at being part of the Nepal Literature Festival 2025
Ncell is the official presenter of the Nepal Literature Festival 2025
Ncell Foundation is the presenter of the event and is promoted by Buddha Air. Pokhara Metropolitan City is also promoting while Gandaki Province Government is co-promoting it.
Similarly, Nepal Tourism Board, Agricultural Development Bank, Global IME Bank and Prabhu Bank are supporting the organizers as sub-promoters.
The Nepal Literature Festival 2025 will feature over 200 literary figures, politicians, writers, artists, journalists, editors, and distinguished personalities from Nepal and abroad. It will also include more than 50 discussion sessions, interactive programs, musical performances, and other creative programs.
From scholars, actors, to musicians, all at the NLF 2025
This time, the festival will begin with a scholarly talk by professor and economist Mahendra P. Lama. He is the Pro-Vice Chancellor of Indira Gandhi Open University (IGOU) and the founding Vice Chancellor of Sikkim University, India. He was also the youngest Vice Chancellor of a national central university in India.
The Bookworm Foundation says that a special dialogue session between Manisha Koirala and Vijay Kumar on spirituality and struggle will be the center of attraction. Likewise, the release of the cover and book excerpt of Nepali cinema legend Rajesh Hamal’s book ‘Yug Dehi Yug Samma’ is also going to be one of the highlights. The legendary actor is soon publishing the book.
The launch of the much-awaited book ‘Akshat Antarctica’ by entrepreneur and author Jiva Lamichhane will also be the attraction of the festival.
Nepali cricketer Paras Khadka, famous literary figure Bhushita Vasistha, Dr. Bhagwan Koirala will also feature at the event. Maggie Doan, an American social worker. She was a CNN Hero of the Year in 2015, who co-founded a children’s home in Surkhet is also gracing the event.
Nepali American writer Ranjan Adiga will participate in two sessions of the festival. He and Bhushita Vasistha will converse on his short story collection, ‘Leech and Other Stories’. His stories and articles have been published in Story Quarterly, The New York Times, Huff Post, The Salt Lake Tribune, among others. He teaches creative writing at Westminster University, Salt Lake City, and Utah.
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Discussion on wide range of topics
The festival will feature serious discussions on various topics related to literature. The discussion will also encompass social, political, economic, technology, cinema, and other topics. The organizer Bookworm Foundation expects thousands of literature lovers to participate daily.
Painting has always been an attraction of the festival. In this edition, paintings by world-renowned artists of traditional Paubha paintings will be at the exhibition. The organizer believes that that his paintings will add a special color to the festival.
There will be diverse range of music too. Traditional, pop, and a mix of both genres, will fill the NLF 2025. There will be a group performance led by Kiran Nepali under the Project Sarangi. Similarly, Om Bikram Bista, known as the pop king of the Nepali music world, will have his musical session.
The music group ‘Sonagi Blues’, which gives a contemporary twist to traditional melodies and rhythms, will also perform at the festival. The band started from the Department of Music at Kathmandu University (KU), and are now reaching new heights. Their music beautifully combines Nepali folk, rock and Indian classical music.
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More book launches and literary discussions
The festival will discuss the novel ‘Comrade Jaljala’. It is written by senior leftist leader and General Secretary of NCP Masal, Mohan Bikram Singh. This novel by 89-year-old Singh, is perhaps the longest book in Nepal.
There is no age limit for literature, education and reading culture. That is why the Nepal Literature Festival has become a powerful medium for children and teenagers to express their thoughts, creations, art and emotions. In this edition, Bookworm Foundation will release a picture book titled ‘Mermaid, Whale and Princess’ by author Bhumilaxmi Parajuli, who has just turned 6 years old.
There will feature interactive sessions with students at the festival about books, stories, poetry and the overall reading culture. There will be discussion about the educational environment at school and at home with their teachers and parents. Bookworm expects that this platform provided by the festival will become a means to prepare the new generation of writers and thinkers.
The festival aims at encouraging new generation of writers and thinkers
Since its inception, the festival has received the support of senior and contemporary writers, says Neeraj Bhari, the executive director of the festival. ‘Coming to the 12th edition, we have prepared the platform with the aim of encouraging the new generation of writers and thinkers,’ he said. From making literature a part of the curriculum right from the school level, our efforts to highlight the role of teachers, parents and other bodies in developing a new reading culture continue.’
The Nepali version of world-famous Indian author Shashi Tharoor’s book ‘Why I Am a Hindu’ is also launching at the festival. Many of Tharoor’s books, an analyst of Indian politics, history and international relations and a renowned writer, have received global attention.
“We believe that with the support, cooperation and presence of everyone here, words will come alive at the ‘Ncell Foundation Nepal Literature Festival 2025’ this time too. You and we will collaborate in promoting art and literature, as well as in creating ideas and developing critical consciousness” Bookworm states.
Festival director Ajit Baral said at a press conference in Pokhara on Friday that since the Nepal Literature Festival started in 2011, dozens of literary festivals have been held annually in Nepal, ‘Such festivals have now gained popularity. From schools to colleges and from wards to rural municipalities, such literary festivals have started being held,’ he shared. ‘Seven literary festivals are being held in Nepal in this Falgun alone. Literature and thought festivals are being held in Surkhet, Kathmandu, Pokhara, Dhading, Kakarbhitta, Biratnagar and Tikapur.’
Baral says that such festivals strengthen our ‘public discourse.’ ‘Public space’ is becoming wider and more vibrant. The credit for this goes to the Nepal Literature Festival,’ he said.
Ncell Foundation delight at being part of the Nepal Literature Festival 2025
Ncell’s Interim Marketing, Communication and Sustainability Director Visakha Laxmi Khadka expressed her delight at being part of the 12th Nepal Literature Festival through Ncell Foundation. Ncell says that the association is part of its CSR aim to connect everyone through art and literature, besides from communication and technology. ‘Art, literature and culture are our identities. It is everyone’s responsibility to preserve them. Our journey together in the early years of the Nepal Literature Festival was very good. We are very happy to collaborate again after a decade,’ Khadka said.
Keshava Sharan Lamichhane, a journalist and program director from Pokhara, discussed the importance of literature and the Nepal Literature Festival. Giving examples of the contributions literature has made to society, he said, ‘Literature plays a significant role in the field of social justice, in destroying and building values and norms. At the same time, it also works to mainstream the language, dialect, voice and cry of minorities, backward classes and others. We want Nepali society to become more tolerant, sympathetic, liberal and civil. Events such as the Nepal Literature Festival supports such a work.’
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Festival organizer and journalist Bharat Koirala expressed his belief that the Literature Festival has further contributed to the building of the city’s culture and civilization.
