HLF-WWK, supported by Ncell Foundation, to take place in Kathmandu from May 29 to June 5

KATHMANDU: The Himalayan Literature Festival & Writers’ Workshop (HLF-WWK) will take place in Kathmandu from May 29 to June 5, 2026. The event is expanding into an eight-day international programme in collaboration with Ncell Foundation, according to organisers.

This edition, dedicated to Guru Prasad Mainali, will bring poets, novelists, memoirists, translators, filmmakers, scholars, journalists and emerging writers from Nepal and around the world. The programme will be centred on themes of healing, consciousness, creativity, memory and cultural dialogue.

According to organisers, the week-long schedule will include masterclasses, workshops, keynote addresses, poetry readings, literary conversations, film screenings, cultural excursions and interdisciplinary discussions exploring the role of literature and the arts in social and personal transformation.

Notable international participants named for the event include Pulitzer Prize-winning poets Tracy K. Smith and Paul Muldoon, bestselling novelist Jean Hanff Korelitz, poet and translator Tony Barnstone, Himalayan poet Yuyutsu Sharma, Irish Times literary editor Martin Doyle and the first Brooklyn Poet Laureate Tina Chang, alongside writers from Nepal, India, Ireland, Austria, Poland and the United States.

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, Yuyutsu Sharma, organiser of HLF-WWK 2026, said, “Literature is not a luxury. It is the oldest form of healing we have. The festival is a celebration of the great glory of the Himalayan nation, Nepal, its rich cultural heritage and vibrant life. The festival celebrates Nepal and brings its great glory to the forefront of the world.”

Meanwhile, Ncell Foundation said its collaboration aims to help preserve and promote Nepal’s literary and cultural heritage while creating spaces for dialogue, creativity and international exchange. Bishakha Lakshmi Khadka, Head of Corporate Communications, Marketing and Sustainability (Director) at Ncell, said, “At Ncell Foundation, we believe literature and storytelling play an important role in preserving cultural heritage, inspiring creativity, and fostering meaningful dialogue. Through our collaboration with the Himalayan Literature Festival, we are proud to support a platform that celebrates Nepal’s rich literary culture while connecting local and global creative voices.”

Planned sessions will address poetry, memoir, magical realism, AI and creative writing, women’s literature, indigenous storytelling, trauma and healing, meditation and creativity, cross-language work, performance and the future of literature in the digital age. The festival will also prioritise emerging voices through youth poetry platforms, mentorship programmes and workshops.

Local writers expected to feature prominently include Sailendra Sakar, Narayan Dhakal, Hari Adhikari, Usha Sherchan and Laxmi Mali, writing in both Nepali and English. The programme will also include screenings of Irish, Austrian, Polish and Portuguese poetry films, and visits to cultural and heritage sites such as Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square, Boudhanath, Budhanilkantha and Nagarkot.

During the press conference, organisers screened two trailers of poetry films — Clouded Reveries, which chronicles the life of Irish poet Doireann Ní Ghríofa, and Wide Awake, a film about Austrian poet Bodo Hell directed by Carola Mair — as well as Stephen Bookas’s film based on Yuyutsu Sharma’s poem about the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, “I see my world shaking.”

The festival aims to establish Kathmandu as a global literary destination and a meeting ground for diverse artistic voices.