Book Jatra 7th Edition to Celebrate Literature, Culture, and Art with Prominent Personalities and Cultural Performances

Kathmandu: The Book Jatra, which has been promoting literature, language, art, and culture, will celebrate its 7th edition this year on the 25th and 26th of Mangsir at Nepal Police Club, located at Exhibition Road, Kathmandu. Organized annually by the Book Jatra Foundation, the event continues its tradition of preserving and promoting language, literature, art, and culture.

According to Rishiram Adhikari, the director of the Book Jatra Festival, the event will feature in-depth discussions and reviews on social issues, traditional values, the political role in society, and the vision for a brighter future, along with a musical atmosphere. “The letters or words of a book never get tired, but people do. Stories continue to walk. The Book Jatra represents such stories,” he said. He emphasized the importance of continuing the event to raise the level of education and consciousness in society.

Adhikari mentioned that preparations for the session halls and stalls are nearing completion. The festival will include more than two dozen discussion sessions, interactive programs, musical performances, and other creative events. The event will host prominent figures from literature, politics, arts, journalism, and media, both from Nepal and abroad. The festival will feature serious debates on various topics related to literature, society, politics, economy, new technology, cinema, and more.

The Book Jatra aims to expand the market for Nepali literature while also contributing to the cultural and tourism sectors. “After the Gen-Z movement, I believe the Book Jatra Festival will contribute to bringing back rhythm to a society that has been in turmoil,” said Adhikari.

The festival will showcase a book exhibition, live painting by Mithila artists, food stalls, musical performances, and traditional dances such as Sudurpashchim’s Chhaliya Dance, Tarai Madhesh’s Jhiya Dance, and Eastern Maruni Dance.

The opening of the Book Jatra will be grand, starting with a “Swasti” recital, followed by a Lakhe dance procession, poetry reading by actor Nazir Hussain, and an AI literature demonstration. Rishabh Kafle and Prabhat Lama will also perform stand-up comedy during the festival.

With the Nepal Premier League (NPL) atmosphere already lively, a session with cricketers is expected to add more excitement to the event. The festival will also feature cinema dialogues, an open mic session with 50 poets, and the inauguration of a portable library.

Prominent personalities like Neelam Karki Niharika, author and journalist Mohan Mainali, poet and songwriter Navraj Lamsal, author Subin Bhattrai, journalist Tika Ram Yatri, banker Anil Keshari Shah, and several others will be speakers for various sessions.

Additionally, the festival will see the launch of books by the ‘Poet Idol’ winners Simyon Sukita Rai and Mahesh Babu Tinlcin. On the second day, musical performances by Jhuma Limbu and a Qawwali performance will also be featured.

To mark the occasion, the Book Jatra Foundation will present the ‘Prem Sahitya Samman’ and ‘Best Seller Award’ to two individuals.