Image via Mahesh Paudyal. Used with permission.
Image via Mahesh Paudyal. Used with permission.
Mahesh Paudyal (43) is an Assistant Professor at the Central Department of English, Tribhuvan University, the largest and oldest university in Nepal. A winner of multiple gold medals for academic excellence, he is a critic, poet, fiction writer, lyricist, and translator with a prolific body of work. Paudyal has authored seven collections of short stories, including “Little Masters”, “They Didn’t Return”, “Anamik Yatree” (Nameless Traveller), “Tyaspachhi Phulena Godawari” (And Then the Chrysanthemums Died), “Aparichit Anuhar” (Strange Faces), “School Chhuteko Din” (The Day I Missed My School), and “Of Walls and Pigeons” among other works. His poetry collections include “Sunya Praharko Sakshi” (Witness to Silent Times) and “Notes of Silent Times”, and his novel “Tadi Kinarko Geet” (The Riverside Anthem) has received critical acclaim.
Paudyal has also written half a dozen books for children and contributed to nearly two dozen school textbooks. As a renowned translator, he has brought works such as Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s Prison Notes and Unfinished Memoirs, three diaries of BP Koirala, Krishna Dharabasi’s Radha, Silver Cascades and Selected Nepali Short Stories — collections of representative Nepali short stories, and Dancing Soul of Mount Everest — a collection of modern Nepali poems, into new linguistic and cultural contexts. His translations exceed fifty works in total. An award-winning writer, Paudyal is the Executive Editor of English Sahityapost, a widely recognised Nepali language literary online portal.
Sangita Swechcha of Global Voices interviewed Mahesh Paudyal via email to explore his journey as a writer, translator, and academic. The conversation delves into his deep engagement with multiple literary genres, the challenges of translating Nepali literature for a global audience, and his thoughts on what it will take to elevate Nepali literature onto the international stage.
Sangita Swechcha (SS): Your work spans various genres, including fiction, poetry, and children’s literature. Which genre do you feel allows you to express your deepest thoughts, and why?
Mahesh Paudyal (MP): Indeed, I have tried my hand in multiple genres, including novels, short fiction, poetry, plays, songs, criticism, and translation. Among them, I think I have persisted most intensely in short fiction. My books of short stories outnumber those in other genres. It is not that I don’t enjoy writing in other genres, but my persistence and passion justify that, at heart, I am a storyteller.
Storytelling is perhaps our natural inheritance. Though the genre has largely been pushed to the background in the West today, replaced by novels and other forms, it has not only survived but has prevailed as the most ‘natural’ art form for us. Stories place us within a continuous flow of identity, defining who we are and where we stand today.
SS: As a writer, translator, and academic, how do you balance multiple roles? How has your academic background influenced your creative work and translations?
MP: I manage these roles naturally, like leaves emerging on a tree without any conscious effort.
My academic position is both a boon and a hurdle for me. When I am writing, my academic training takes the driver’s seat, navigating through ethos, pathos, and logos. When I am creating, I often find it difficult to keep the writer inside me immune from the untimely and pedantic interventions of the academic inside me. Nevertheless, the pros outweigh the cons. For example, a writer composing under the spell of raw emotions can often be crude, awaiting refinement. When an academic filter is present, it allows for careful refinement — filtering out the excess while preserving the essence.
SS: What do you see as the biggest challenge in translating Nepali literature for an international readership?
MP: I have noticed three significant hurdles that we have not yet overcome.
First, most of us handling literary translation in Nepal lack formal training in the craft (with a few notable exceptions). We have merely extended our love for language, our flair for writing, and our patience to sit upright for hours at the computer to enter the territory of translation.
Secondly, in many cases, we do not have a clear target audience. Many of us act like ‘mister and mistress know-it-alls” but are, in fact, goal-less strikers. We are neither trained in the culture and dialectical nuances of our target readers, nor have we mastered the informal and popular aspects of their linguistic elasticity.
Last, and perhaps the biggest challenge, is that even when we produce a high-quality translation, we lack the infrastructure to deliver it to international markets. There is a disconnect between production and distribution, which significantly limits global access to Nepali literature.
A few books translated by Mahesh Paudyal. Image via Mahesh Paudyal.
A few books translated by Mahesh Paudyal. Image via Mahesh Paudyal. Used with permission.
SS: Nepali literature is not as visible on the global stage. What do you think needs to happen for Nepali literature to gain greater recognition and visibility in the global literary community?
MP: Compared to fifty years ago, we have made great progress. Nepali literature is better known globally today, thanks to internationally recognised writers such as Samrat Upadhyay, Manjushree Thapa, Prajwal Parajuly, Sushma Joshi, and Chuden Kabimo. Their works have introduced the uniqueness of Nepali storytelling to a global readership.
Three major developments are also shaping this progress. Organisations of Nepali writers worldwide are expanding their networks and collaborating with foreign institutions. These partnerships will have a cumulative effect over time. Writers are also travelling more than ever before, engaging in international dialogues and literary festivals, which helps build cultural bridges. Additionally, many Nepali students in foreign universities are now researching Nepali literature and culture. If their findings are shared widely in academic and literary circles, this will make a substantial impact.
However, the real challenge lies in our own hands. Are we actively drawing the attention of global readers, critics, and publishers? Are we working towards securing international publishers for our books? Are we offering fresh, unique voices that the world wants to read? These are the questions we must address.
SS: Nepali literature is also largely absent from international university curricula and major literary anthologies. What are the key reasons for this, and what steps can be taken to change it?
MP: We need to seek international publishers and meet their standards to ensure broader accessibility. Secondly, we must adapt our works to fit academic curricula, ensuring that our literature meets institutional requirements. We also need to proactively network with global literary communities to ensure Nepali literature finds its place in university syllabus and global anthologies.
We need both quality content and strategic positioning to integrate Nepali literature into international academic discussions.
SS: What advice would you give to writers and translators who want to bring Nepali literature to a global platform?
MP: The first and most important thing — without any ‘ifs’ or ‘buts’ — is quality. Whether in original writing or translation, quality must be the top priority.
Secondly, we need to educate ourselves on the global literary ecosystem — the mechanisms that allow literature to reach international audiences.
Finally, we must make ourselves unique and indispensable in this domain. If we create works so distinctive that they cannot be easily replaced, we will establish a lasting presence on the global literary stage.