Dilip Paudel’s short story collection Bluffer’s Diary has been officially launched during a literary ceremony held at Greenleaf Foodland in Putalisadak, Kathmandu. The book was jointly unvieled by literary critic Rajkumar Baniya, writer Bikrambhakta Joshi, and social worker Krishna KC jointly unveiled the book.
Bluffer’s Diary marks Paudel’s debut in fiction writing and contains 18 stories set in both domestic and foreign contexts. Commenting on the book, writer Joshi remarked, “The stories in Bluffer’s Diary successfully offer the taste of both foreign burgers and Nepali sel roti.”
Critic Baniya highlighted the remarkable diversity in the stories, praising their ability to sustain the reader’s curiosity until the very end. “Paudel’s stories beautifully portray social anomalies, immigrant psychology, the crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as themes of love and marital emotions. It’s hard to believe this is his first collection,” he said. Speaker Krishna KC expressed confidence that Bluffer’s Diary would win the hearts of many readers.
Author Paudel shared that he wrote most of the stories during the COVID pandemic, often seated in Bluffers Park near his home — the inspiration behind the book’s title. Now based in Canada, Paudel holds a Master’s degree in English from Tribhuvan University and has over a decade of experience teaching English literature. He currently works as a therapist at a non-governmental organization in Toronto.
Bluffer’s Diary is edited by Rajkumar Baniya and published by Shikha Books. The book is priced at NPR 495.
