Spiny Babbler Nationalwide Poetry Festival Lunched

  People's Review, 29 March to 4 April 2001

 

Spiny Babbler nationwide poetry festival was launched by UNESCO representative to Nepal, Yoshiaki Kitamura on Saturday, March 24, at the Spiny Babbler premises in Kupondol Heights. Poet Toya Gurung was the chief guest. The festival is to take place in Kathmandu (two functions), Dharan, Narayanghat, and Darjeeling.

Established, new generation, and upcoming poets writing in Nepali as well in English are participating the festival. Readings, interactions, discussions, and data collection are to be held during the festival. The program was implemented in view of Spiny Babbler's tenth anniversary according to Para Limbu, chairperson of the organization.

Mr. Yoshiaki Kitamura talked about the promotion of intercultural understanding through poetry and commented that UNESCO Country Office had to continue collecting information on Nepal. He said that there was need for cooperation among organizations and poets in the process.

Pallav Ranjan, founder of Spiny Babbler and author of several books, said that the organization was working in Nepal and in other continents through the use of modern technologies and the coordination of key editors, associations, and creators. Ashesh Malla, Ishwor Ballav, Greta Rana, Usha Sherechan, Bairagi Kainla, Gyanu Warker, Benju Sharma, Manjul, and Manju Kanchuli, Toya Gurung, Indira Prasai, Padmawati Singh and others recited their poems during the launching program.

Likewise, on Sunday, March 25, a poetry reading function for new generation poets held at the Spiny Babbler premises.