When I attended the 2018 IBBY World Congress in Athens, Greece, I met booklovers from around the world. But perhaps the one who left the biggest impression on me was an energetic young man from Nepal: Yashu Shrestha. He introduced himself with an infectious smile and obviously revelled in the newly found friendships and connections he made with writers from other countries. ‘What would it be like to be a children’s book writer in Nepal?’ I wondered. When I lived in the Yukon, I sometimes felt cut off from other writers and literacy events. How would it be in Nepal, such a remote, difficult-to-get-to region of the world? I recently had a chance to ask Yashu some questions about being a writer and promoting books in Nepal.
“When I was little,” he says, “my mother told me wonderful stories. While we worked in the field together, I would listen to her stories and see the images in my mind.
As I grew older,” Yashu remembers, “a library was established in our village. But it was difficult to purchase books. During Tihar, our festival of lights, we would get together and perform Deusi Bhailo—traditional folklore songs and dance. With the money we raised, we would buy more books for our library.” While still at school, he started to write poems and songs. In eighth grade, he won a competition with one of his poems.
“I liked to write and started to write for adults. But then, when I talked to publishers, they told me that it is very difficult to sell books for adults in Nepal.” “We rarely sell more than 1,000 copies,” the publishers told Yashu, “and for a first-time writer it is even more difficult.” He was surprised to learn this. ‘Why don’t people read more?’ he wondered, ‘Why aren’t they selling more books?’
After giving it some serious thought, Yashu realized that, in Nepal, people do not foster a reading culture. “But if a reading habit were to be nurtured from an early age, children would grow up as readers. If children are exposed to good books, they will be inspired to read,” he says with passion. “And if books are readily available, children can read wherever and whenever they like.” He smiles and adds “Children who are in the habit of reading, children who have access to books will be an asset to their country.”
So, Yashu started by reading as many books for children as he could get his hands on. He visited older, more experienced writers. “I travelled many miles on a bicycle for that,” he says, spending time with them, listening to them, collecting books, reading and learning from them. Yashu also spent much time with children of every age, interacting, playing, asking about their interests and formulating ideas of what type of stories the children would be interested in.
“Then,” he simply states, “I started to write for children. I love children and, inside, I am still a child myself,” he adds with a grin. As he discovered more genres—poetry, fiction and non-fiction—Yashu kept on writing. Talking to children, spending time in nature and in society, gave him more and more ideas. “I am a storyteller,” he says, “but I also edit children books and magazines.”
Yashu works with different publishers and NGO’s in Nepal. He now has had over 150 stories for children published. “I was the first to publish silent (wordless) books on the Nepalese market,” he says proudly, explaining that there is only a very limited number of publishers who produce books or magazines for children. “That reading habit is still only just developing,” he explains but adds that he is hopeful that in the future Nepalese publishers will be able to survive in a stronger market.
There are an estimated 4,500 titles for children in Nepal, Yashu tells me. This figure includes any translated books from other countries, as well as many outdated books. He is encouraged by the fact that more and more artists want to be illustrators of Nepalese children’s books but currently they still find it too difficult to make a living.
There is no equivalent of the Canadian Children’s Book Centre or similar organizations that support children’s literature nationally in Nepal, but Yashu tells me that both government and NGO’s are starting to organize children’s book festivals and initiatives such as children literature conferences and workshops in conjunction with writers and publishers to promote a reading habit among parents, teachers and children.
“The government should develop a package of activities to promote a reading culture in schools and at home to encourage writers, illustrators and publishers,” Yashu says wistfully, “Education should not be limited to a few text books.”
Through hard work and dedication, Yashu Shrestha aims to contribute as much as he can to the Nepalese field of children’s literature. He says, “I wish every child in Nepal will get a chance to read children books from around the globe and that Nepalese literature will reach others in many countries!”
And that, of course, is precisely why he was happy to attend an IBBY World Congress and make lasting connections.
Margriet Ruurs is a Canadian writer of over 40 books for children. She shares her love of travel and books on Globetrotting Booklovers: www.globetrottingbooklovers.com
Learning About Children’s Literature in Nepal
Contributed by Margriet Ruurs
“When I was little,” he says, “my mother told me wonderful stories. While we worked in the field together, I would listen to her stories and see the images in my mind.
“I liked to write and started to write for adults. But then, when I talked to publishers, they told me that it is very difficult to sell books for adults in Nepal.” “We rarely sell more than 1,000 copies,” the publishers told Yashu, “and for a first-time writer it is even more difficult.” He was surprised to learn this. ‘Why don’t people read more?’ he wondered, ‘Why aren’t they selling more books?’
After giving it some serious thought, Yashu realized that, in Nepal, people do not foster a reading culture. “But if a reading habit were to be nurtured from an early age, children would grow up as readers. If children are exposed to good books, they will be inspired to read,” he says with passion. “And if books are readily available, children can read wherever and whenever they like.” He smiles and adds “Children who are in the habit of reading, children who have access to books will be an asset to their country.”
So, Yashu started by reading as many books for children as he could get his hands on. He visited older, more experienced writers. “I travelled many miles on a bicycle for that,” he says, spending time with them, listening to them, collecting books, reading and learning from them. Yashu also spent much time with children of every age, interacting, playing, asking about their interests and formulating ideas of what type of stories the children would be interested in.
“Then,” he simply states, “I started to write for children. I love children and, inside, I am still a child myself,” he adds with a grin. As he discovered more genres—poetry, fiction and non-fiction—Yashu kept on writing. Talking to children, spending time in nature and in society, gave him more and more ideas. “I am a storyteller,” he says, “but I also edit children books and magazines.”
There are an estimated 4,500 titles for children in Nepal, Yashu tells me. This figure includes any translated books from other countries, as well as many outdated books. He is encouraged by the fact that more and more artists want to be illustrators of Nepalese children’s books but currently they still find it too difficult to make a living.
There is no equivalent of the Canadian Children’s Book Centre or similar organizations that support children’s literature nationally in Nepal, but Yashu tells me that both government and NGO’s are starting to organize children’s book festivals and initiatives such as children literature conferences and workshops in conjunction with writers and publishers to promote a reading habit among parents, teachers and children.
“The government should develop a package of activities to promote a reading culture in schools and at home to encourage writers, illustrators and publishers,” Yashu says wistfully, “Education should not be limited to a few text books.”
Through hard work and dedication, Yashu Shrestha aims to contribute as much as he can to the Nepalese field of children’s literature. He says, “I wish every child in Nepal will get a chance to read children books from around the globe and that Nepalese literature will reach others in many countries!”
And that, of course, is precisely why he was happy to attend an IBBY World Congress and make lasting connections.
Nepal Section of IBBY: http://nepalbalsahitya.org.np/
Margriet Ruurs is a Canadian writer of over 40 books for children. She shares her love of travel and books on Globetrotting Booklovers: www.globetrottingbooklovers.com
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