A Canada Research Chair from Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) has co-created an anthology that brings together poets with roots to Nepal and underscores the power of poetry to transcend borders.
In 'Wanderings,' Dr. Asma Sayed and Dr. Pushparaj Acharya found common themes of home and mobility.
In Wanderings: An Anthology of Anglophone Nepali Diaspora Poetry, edited by Dr. Asma Sayed and Dr. Pushparaj Acharya, 10 poets reimagine belonging while living between cultures. Sayed, Canada Research Chair in South Asian Literary and Cultural Studies in the Faculty of Arts at KPU, says the book demonstrates the diversity and resilience of diasporic communities.
"Wanderings showcases the strengths of contemporary Nepali poets living in the diaspora. What binds their work is their shared cultural experiences and heritages, their connection to Nepal, and their distinct perspectives as diasporic voices navigating between multiple worlds and identities. We have titled the collection Wanderings to reflect both the thematic content and the stylistic meanderings evident in the works," says Sayed, one of three KPU researchers who hold a Canada Research Chair.
Until Wanderings, there hasn't been a collection exclusively focused on contemporary Nepali Anglophone poetry about the diasporic experience. Sayed and Acharya also found information about Nepali literature isn't easily available to Western readers, as India is the primary focus in the teaching of South Asian literature.
"One of our aims through this collection is to reflect the richness of contemporary world literary traditions. Nepali literature remains marginalized in both South Asia and the West," says Sayed.
Featured are poets Nabin K. Chhetri, Rohan Chhetri, Mukul Dahal, Tsering Wangmo Dhompa, Anuja Ghimire, Saraswoti Lamichhane, Mukahang Limbu, Yogendra B. Shakya, Samyak Shertok, in addition to Acharya. Together, the contributors use a range of forms to explore themes of nostalgia, exile, identity and home.
Acharya, a Postdoctoral Fellow in South Asian Studies working with Sayed at KPU, says along with forging links to their new communities in the diaspora, many of the poets also explore identity and the ways it shifts through migration. As the poems represent themes of belonging in a new place, they also explore informal activities like camping, walking and experiencing city life.
"Home and mobility return as a constant feature of diasporic Nepali Anglophone literature. It represents the experiences of Nepalis living abroad and contributes to discussions about identity, belonging, nostalgia and the idea of a home. It highlights the enduring power of poetry in understanding human existence," says Acharya.
"We hope this collection will be the beginning of a growing trend in diasporic literature. As the voices and experiences of the Nepali diaspora evolve, further works will emerge to offer fresh perspectives."
Wanderings, supported by the Canada Research Chair Program and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, is available from publisher Mawenzi House.
