“One of South Asia’s Premier Literary Gatherings Returns to Kathmandu, Uniting World-Renowned Authors, Poets, and Emerging Writers”
“Nepal’s First-Ever Poetry Film Festival to Debut Alongside Masterclasses, Workshops, and New Young Writers Scholarship”
KATHMANDU— Organisers of the Himalayan Literature Festival & Writers’ Workshop 2026 today officially announced the upcoming edition of one of South Asia’s leading literary gatherings, following a press conference held at The Malla Hotel, Kathmandu. The festival will take place from 29 May to 5 June 2026, convening internationally acclaimed poets, novelists, translators, filmmakers, scholars, journalists, and emerging writers from Nepal and around the world.
Operating under the theme “Ecstasy, Healing and Creative Writing in New World Order,” the eight-day programme encompasses workshops, masterclasses, poetry readings, panel discussions, film screenings, cultural excursions, and interdisciplinary conversations exploring healing, spirituality, translation, memory, performance, and the future of literature in the digital age.
This year’s international gathering features Pulitzer Prize-winning poets Tracy K. Smith and Paul Muldoon, alongside novelist Jean Hanff Korelitz, poets Tony Barnstone, Tina Chang, and Brian Turner, writer and mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik, Martin Doyle, and celebrated Nepali poet Shailendra Sakar, among a distinguished cohort of contributors from across the globe.
Nepal’s First Poetry Film Festival: The 2026 edition introduces Nepal’s inaugural Poetry Film Festival, presenting poetry films from Ireland, Austria, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, India, Portugal, Spain, and beyond — an ambitious milestone for the country’s literary and cinematic communities. At the press conference, attendees were treated to a preview screening of three films: Wide Awake, directed by Carola Mair (Austria); Aisling Trí Néallaibh: Clouded Reveries, a trailer for the Irish film chronicling the life of celebrated poet and thinker Doireann Ní Ghríofa — who was notably interviewed by festival participant Martin Doyle on themes connected to the film and a short film based on a poem by festival founder Yuyutsu Sharma.
Organisers announced the establishment of the HLF–WWK Young Writers Scholarship, valued at NPR 150,000. At the press conference, Atharva Bikram Shah, a Grade 12 student, was named among the runner-up recipients; additional scholarship recipients will be announced via the festival’s official social media channels in the coming days.
“Nepal is a country full of poets from royals and politicians to farmers, porters, monks, and ordinary people carrying extraordinary stories. Every valley, every mountain, every language and culture in this country holds its own mythology and memory. This festival is about bringing those stories into conversation with the world.” — Yuyutsu Sharma, Founder/Curator of HLF-WWK2026.
Festival Director Shreejana Bhandari underscored the festival’s commitment to engaging younger generations through mentorship, workshops, school visits, and creative exchange, noting that nurturing emerging talent remains central to the festival’s long-term mission.
The press conference was hosted and managed by The Prodigy Project, a student-led initiative founded and directed by Bibek Gautam that works with young Nepalis through skill-based education, mentorship, and creative empowerment. From media logistics to on-ground coordination, the team brought to this stage the same energy and capability they have built across Nepal, from classrooms in Kathmandu to communities in Sindhupalchowk. The Prodigy Project will carry this role through the festival itself, overseeing student internships, school outreach, and volunteer operations from May 29 to June 5. For an organisation founded on the belief that young people are not the leaders of tomorrow but of today, HLF-WWK 2026 is not merely a partnership. It is a proof of concept.
