The seventh iteration of the IME Nepal Literature festival is going to be held on the banks of the Fewa Lake opposite the Ratna Mandir in Pokhara, from December 22-25.

A press meet held on Monday by the Bookworm Foundation also announced a partial list of authors who will be present at the festival. Rabin Giri, coordinator of the festival, informed that Pakistani writer Mohammed Hanif, British illustrator and graphic artist Nicola Streeten, Nepali-Indian author Prajwal Parajuly, Indian writer Namita Gokhale, and Nepali-Canadian writer Manjushree Thapa will all be present at the festival alongside a roster of Nepali writers and personalities. Past editions of the festival have hosted international figures like Shashi Tharoor, Vinod Mehta, Barkha Dutt, and Uday Prakash.

“We expect similar support like in previous years,” said Ajit Baral, director of the festival. Baral has been leading the festival since its inception, when it was first held at Gyanmandala square in Kathmandu’s Jhamsikhel. The festival’s latter editions have moved to the Nepal Academy and Tourism Board in scenic Pokhara.

Hem Raj Dhakal, managing director of IME, expressed gratitude for being able to be a part of a festival dedicated to preserving and promoting Nepali literature and introducing foreign writers to Nepal. Veteran writer Khagendra Sangroula echoed similar sentiments, saying, “There can be no better platform for readers to interact with their favourite writers.”

The Nepal Literature Festival will not just promote literature but also tourism in Pokhara, said Niraj Bhari of the organising committee.