Nepalaya to publish works of 75 emerging writers

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Jan. 2: Nepalaya is set to publish literary works by 75 young emerging writers.

According to a press release issued by Nepalaya on Thursday, the selected writers include 25 fiction writers, 25 poets and 25 essayists, all under the age of 25. Their works will be published by Nepalaya.

Nepalaya issued an open call for literary submissions on January 1, 2025, the first day of the year. Titled ‘25 of 25 in 2025’, the call received far more submissions than expected, the press release stated.

“We invited submissions in three genres, short stories, poetry and essays,” said Nepalaya editor Bimal Acharya. “More than 600 writers born on or after January 1, 2000, participated from around the world.”

For the selection of works in the three genres, Nepalaya formed a three-member selection committee comprising poet Shrawan Mukarung, fiction writer Narayan Wagle and writer Bhushita Vashishtha. The committee selected a total of 75 works.

“I was amazed by the narrative style and craft of the new generation after reading their works,” said selection committee member and fiction writer Narayan Wagle.

Likewise, judge and poet Shrawan Mukarung said that poets of the new generation occupy new spaces and address new life experiences and a renewed consciousness of time.

“Reading these writings and witnessing the rise of a Gen Z movement felt almost simultaneous,” said jury member Bhushita Vashishtha.

To ensure that language does not restrict expression, Nepalaya adopted an open policy allowing submissions in any language. The selected works will therefore be published in their original languages.

According to Nepalaya team leader Kiran Krishna Shrestha, the initiative was taken to understand the artistic thinking of the new generation, what it wants, what it writes and how it writes.

“Our journey, which began with the publication of the novel Palpasa Cafe, has now completed 20 years. On this occasion, we searched for new-generation writers,” said Shrestha.

Nepalaya will publish three separate books, one each for fiction, poetry and essays comprising the selected works.