Today’s coffeehouses in Nepal are nothing like the ones of old in England, or even the old teahouses of Kathmandu that were literary hotspots. They are commercial, expensive and don’t foster an intellectual spirit.

England of old

The modern coffeehouse concept emerged in 17th century Oxford, England when Jacob, a Jewish entrepreneur, built a coffeehouse called Angel that gave university scholars and poets space to debate academic issues. Coffeehouses became so popular—and were so cheap—that they earned the nickname ‘penny universities.’ They were gathering spaces for like-minded people who could interrogate the issue of the day in a university-like setting. These opportunities seldom appeared in England’s public alehouses.

Haunted by literary figures, coffeehouses gave poets and writers freedom of expression and a relaxed atmosphere to air out their worries and thoughts. Best of all, these places were affordable and relaxing. This is why coffeehouses attracted a broad clientele: customers of any class could enter a coffeehouse and participate in debates, creating a truly democratic atmosphere. Wearing a polite demeanor, both a pauper and aristocrat could chat about the topics of the day—scientific, literary or political.

In England, strict rules were imposed on coffeehouses—cardplaying and gambling were forbidden—and anyone violating them owed a free coffee to the next person. A productive environment emerged still: a news culture developed within coffeehouses and English publications like The Tattler and The Spectator collected articles from such places.

Nepal of now

In Nepal, we are lucky if we can find one person reading a newspaper in a coffeehouse rather than a Facebook message on their smartphone.

Nepal has a glut of coffeehouses these days but none of them mimic the traditions of England’s historic ones. Nepali poets and writers convene and imbibe coffee without intellectual flowering. Peepal Bot in New Road in central Kathmandu is one such meeting point. But Nepal still lacks an affordable and intellectual environment like we saw in the old English coffeehouses. When poet Bhupi Sherchan and his contemporaries needed such a place, they looked for a hotel instead.

Nepali coffeehouses are hardly a suitable environment for intellectual creativity because of the high cost. And debating issues get drowned out by blaring loud music. Distraction multiplies when a good Wi-Fi signal is found and Facebook is beckoning. Yes, it is quite rare to see a group debating academic issues or current politics, unless forced to by school assignment. Unlike old English coffeehouses, Nepali coffeehouses have simply become expensive and laymen cannot afford to visit frequently.

Some Nepali poets like Sherchan and Haribhakta Katuwal found better charms in alehouses and teashops, writing marvelous Nepali poems that have remained evergreen.

Discussions and sharing make writers better. If they do not meet regularly in a specific place, they cannot create better literary pieces. So such places are a must for the writers, poets and critics.

In contrast, Chitwan’s coffeehouses houses host litterateurs like Bhupeen, Ishwor, Suman, Balkrishna and Ramesh, who have formed a ‘kavi kuna’ where they meet regularly and discuss poems and other forms of literature. They get together in the evening and take part in academic discussions. The topic of their talk may range from classic literature, the books they have just read, the poems they have recently composed to any other piece of creative writing. Every week, they come with new issues and go home with wonderful conclusions.

Similarly, some readers’ clubs have also developed in cities like Kathmandu and Pokhara with similar objectives. bOOkahOlics, a Facebook forum, has been a great forum for readers who meet regularly for a programme called ‘Paleti’ and discuss a particular writer. Likewise, Pokhara, Hetauda and other cities of the country have also opened such readers’ forum and take part in discussions regularly.

These days, we are not able to offer an intellectual atmosphere at cheap prices. It would much better if such poetic rendezvous became cheaper but qualitative so that poets and writers could visit regularly at affordable prices.

Kadel is a lecturer at SPM College, Gaidakot, Nawalparasi ([email protected])