Sahityapost has announced the shortlist for the ‘Sahityapost Uttan Gairakhyan Puraskar 2081’, an award presented to debut authors who have entered Nepali literature through nonfiction writing. The shortlist includes five first-time authors who published their debut nonfiction works in the year 2081.
The selected works include Chhalbato: Kailashdekhi Gangasamma, a travel memoir by Ramesh Bhushal; Chhotu, a memoir by Sanjeev Paudel; Dhaulagiri Chhayamuni, a memoir by Chhabilal Pathak; Beritka Reetharu, a collection of personal essays by Rita Neupane Pahari; and Market of Sweetheart, a work of creative nonfiction by Tara Bhattarai.
Earlier, from among 13 nonfiction submissions received by Sahityapost from debut authors, a longlist of seven titles had been made public. The five shortlisted books have been selected from this pool after careful evaluation.
The previously announced longlist included Amar Chitrakar by Sabitri Singh Chitrakar, Chhalbato: Kailashdekhi Gangasamma by Ramesh Bhushal, Chhotu by Sanjeev Paudel, Dhaulagiri Chhayamuni by Chhabilal Pathak, Beritka Reetharu by Rita Neupane Pahari, Market of Sweetheart by Tara Bhattarai, and Shreebar, a spiritual work by Rijal Swami.
The shortlist was selected by a jury panel that included section editors from Sahityapost. According to the panel, the books were evaluated based on various nonfiction parameters including structure, clarity of ideas, depth of perspective, originality, social relevance, contemporary awareness, presentation, use of imagery and symbolism, and the significance of the title.
In the next stage, three outstanding works from the shortlist will be selected. From among them, one will be awarded the Sahityapost Uttan Gairakhyan Puraskar 2081, which carries a cash prize of Rs. 50,000.
The award is sponsored by poet and critic Vinay Kumar Bhandari, whose poetry collection Samatnalai Raja Narendradevko Haad Pairaheko Chain is in publication. Bhandari’s in-depth literary critiques published on Sahityapost are widely appreciated.
The shortlist for the Sahityapost Poetry Award has already been announced, while the shortlist for the Sahityapost Fiction Award will be made public on Jestha 4 (May 19). In the final stage, three outstanding books—one from each category: poetry, fiction, and nonfiction—will be recognized as Sahityapost Navaratna 2081. Each of the three winners will receive Rs. 50,000 along with a formal felicitation at an award ceremony.
