Middle Ground: Nepal Literature Festival

Middle Ground: Nepal Literature Festival

Literature from the Himalayas

Readings, discussions, workshops, keynote speeches, performances, DJ set, open mic night

October 2 & 3, 2026

In 2026, Middle Ground will host the Nepal Literature Festival, approaching literary practice from the perspective of “height.” Here, “height” refers not only to physical elevation but can also be understood as a metaphor for perspective. In the context of the Himalayan regions, this concept reveals layered epistemologies that shape how the communities living there encounter power and how they resist it.

For a very long time, Nepal has been shaped by the movements of traders, pilgrims, migrants, refugees, and exiles, who for centuries have navigated border crossings, weather conditions, and power imbalances. Ongoing political and religious tensions, alongside more recent anti-government protests, have contributed to the shaping of this complex landscape.

This issue of Middle Ground brings the Himalayas, with its diverse routes, into dialogue with other transit landscapes.

It explores how literature captures experiences of waiting, crossing, and disruption.

Workshops, readings, performances, discussions, keynote speeches, and an open mic night invite writers and the audience to engage with literary practices that tell stories of life in the Himalayan region.