Vishwo Jyoti Literary Award to Be Conferred to Poet Manjul

By TRN Online, Kathmandu, March 18: APEC Nepal, an organisation devoted to the enrichment of Nepali literature for the past twenty-seven years, has announced that senior creative figure — poet, lyricist and singer Megharaj Nepal ‘Manjul’ — will be honoured with this year’s Vishwo Jyoti Literary Award at a special ceremony to be organised in Kathmandu on 8 April.

The organisation has said that the award will include a certificate of honour along with a cash prize of fifty-one thousand rupees.

The ‘Vishwo Jyoti Literary Award’, which was instituted last year, was in its inaugural year presented to poet and lyricist Usha Sherchan.

An active creator in poetry and songwriting, Manjul was born in February/ March of 1947 AD.

Manjul has begun his artistic journey in the year 1967 through songwriting and singing on Radio Nepal.

Around that period, expressing dissent against certain social distortions and irregularities, he, together with some of his companions, established a cultural group known as Ralpha in a spirit of protest.

Artists such as Manjul, Ramesh, Ryan and Arim, among others, played an active role in the group.

Following the formation of Ralpha, Manjul and fellow artists remained actively engaged in travelling to the remotest corners of Nepal, sounding the clarion call for change.

At that time, the progressive creators associated with Ralpha would reach villages and settlements far and wide, singing songs of the people and awakening public consciousness.

Manjul has remained active in literary writing, and several of his books have been published.

Among his published works are the poetry collection Sahili Morilai, the memoir Samjhanaka Pailaharu, the novel Chheku Dolma, the poetry volume Mrityu Kavita, and the biographical work Pahad Jasto – Bato Jasto Ma, along with many other creations.

Having received honours such as the National Talent Award and the Sajha Award, Manjul remains creatively active even at this stage of his life and continues to serve as a source of inspiration for many.

Alongside this recognition, APEC Nepal has also established another award titled the Vishwo Jyoti Youth Manuscript Award.

The organisation is set to announce next week the details of this manuscript award, which will be presented to a young creator below the age of forty.

Last year, the manuscript award was presented to the poetry work Banda Gharko Jhyal by young poet Hemant Shishir from the Sudurpaschim region.

The organisation has further stated that this year’s award will be presented on a short story manuscript by a young storyteller   who has not yet published a single book, and that the selected work will be published and formally launched at the same ceremony.