Rishi Ram Adhikari wants Nepali writing to find readers far outside Nepal. He founded and chairs two organisations that share the Kitab Yatra name: a Nepal-based foundation and a company that distributes books. He explained his aims in an email interview with Sangita Swechcha, a journalist for Global Voices.
From a local gathering to an international event
The foundation organises the Kitab Jatra Festival, which began in 2018. Global Voices reports that it now links readers and writers in Nepal, India, the UK and the USA, and that organisers plan to extend it to Dubai, Australia, Portugal, Belgium and Germany. Recent editions include the seventh in Nepal in December 2025, the fifth in New Delhi in February 2026 and an event in London in August 2026.
Adhikari said the biggest change has been in ambition. In his account, Nepali literature should no longer be seen as limited by geography, and going abroad means forming local partnerships and understanding audiences, not just relocating an event.
Obstacles he identifies
A major hurdle, Adhikari told Global Voices, is how little international visibility Nepali literature has. He pointed to language barriers, few translation opportunities, distribution problems and too little global promotion. He also named funding and long-term commitment as sustainability concerns. His response is to work with literary organisations, publishers, universities and diaspora institutions, and to encourage translation and book exchanges.
The diaspora and work at home
Adhikari described Nepalis living abroad as active partners rather than only an audience. He said they can back Nepali authors, form reading communities and bring Nepali books to local libraries.
In its introduction to the interview, Global Voices credits the foundation's efforts with over 20 libraries inside Nepal, along with scholarships for students. Adhikari called the domestic and overseas efforts "two sides of the same mission" and said success should be judged by readers and students reached, not only by the size of a festival.
Background and recognition
Adhikari said he was training as a Chartered Accountant in New Delhi when he abandoned the course. He came home carrying four sacks of books, then set up an internet bookshop in Kathmandu. Global Voices notes that Kitab Yatra and Adhikari received the Public Choice ICT Award in 2019 and the 5th edition of the Tally MSME Honours 2025.
Sources
- Global Voices (CC BY 3.0)
