Feature: Book reading culture in Nepal reaches new height

While the second National Book Festival 2015 is underway in this capital, book reading culture has noticeably caught up in Nepal with more and more Nepali people now reading locally-written books and other periodicals.

Just a few years back, publishing houses in the country found it difficult to sell their published books and other printed materials due to lack of readers. In fact, some of them have stopped publishing books because they could not sell them.

However with the passage of time, the Nepali book industry has slowly recovered, thanks to the emerging market of young readers and the promotional strategies adopted by publishers.

"When I started publishing books eight years ago, printing and selling the first 1,000 copies of any book would be a big struggle. But the scenario has changed: recently for one of our books we printed 20,000 copies and they were sold immediately," said Ajit Baral, founder of FinePrint, an independent publishing house in Nepal.

Their latest publications are "Khusi" by Vijaya Kumar, "Saaya" by Subin Bhattarai and "Chinaa Harayeko Manchhe." FinePrint printed 20,000 copies of each these books.

Nepali readers have started buying books as a result of aggressive marketing and promotional campaign by publishers. Some publishers also offer big discounts to customers in book fairs and exhibitions held throughout the year in various parts of the country.

These days, the publishing houses are focused on promoting their books through advertisements in the mass media. They also organized book signing programs and interactions between authors and readers.

Social media has been one of the best platforms for promoting books.

Pradeep Khanal of Kathalaya Publications, who sold books in the book fair told Xinhua that book readership in Nepal has definitely risen to a satisfactory level.

"During these week-long book fairs, we get visitors whole day from different walks of life inquiring about out latest publications," he said.

Their latest publications, the "Art of Living" by Jiwan Kumar Prasai and Nepali translation of "Gorkha's Daughter" by Puskar Parajuli, have been the readers' favorite.

With the growth in readership, Nepali authors have been encouraged to write more books and other reading materials.

"There is a big market for locally-written books. But Nepali authors should know the temper and preference of readers so that they can satisfy their demands. One major consideration is that the books should be entertaining and educational to help the Nepali people enjoy life," Buddhisagar, a prominent Nepali writer, said.

Buddhisagar, the author of "Karnali Blues," has decided to leave his journalism profession to become a full-time writer.

With the increasing demand for books, Nepali writers have branched out to writing autobiographies, politics, history and contemporary social issues aside from fiction.

Brazesh Khanal, author of the novel "Yayavar" said that while the book reading culture has finitely improved among the Nepali people, there is a need to manage it properly because over saturation or oversupply of books could result in losses to publishing firms.

Khanal also said that local writers should not only write for the local readers but also aim for the international market using local themes based on the rich culture and tradition of the landlocked Himalayan nation known throughout the world for its majestic Mount Everest. Endi