The inaugural edition of the Himal Fiction Fest from Himal Southasian magazine will showcase exceptional emerging voices in Southasian fiction. The online festival will bring together readers, writers, publishers, editors and agents from across the region.
Over two weeks, Himal will release six original short stories by writers from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Bangladesh and India, and host two reading sessions and discussion panels featuring the writers alongside top figures from Southasian publishing.
Founded over 30 years ago, Himal Southasian is Southasia’s first regional magazine of politics and culture. In an age of competing nationalisms and complex crises, Himal insists on the cross-border, pro-people nature of possibilities and problems.
A digital magazine in its current incarnation, Himal carries a wide variety of articles, from sharp commentaries and longform reportage, to reviews and essays, focusing not on news but in-depth journalism. It features contributions from some of the most interesting writers in the region.
You can register for the discussion sessions here:
The Present and Future of Southasian Fiction I
Date: 12 June 2023
Readings: Saher Hasnain, Ciara Mandulee Mendis, and Sidharth Singh joined by Illustrator Manjil Rijal
Panelists: Sonia Faleiro (London), Rifat Munim (Dhaka) and Afshan Shafi (Lahore)
The Present and Future of Southasian Fiction II
Date: 19 June 2023
Readings: Kyi May Kaung, Deepa Bhasthi, Shah Tazrian joined by Illustrator Manjil Rijal
Panelists: Karthika VK (New Delhi), Manjushree Thapa (Kathmandu/Toronto) and VV Ganeshanathan (Minneapolis)
Note on Southasia as one word: Following the lead of Himal Southasian, Southasia Peace Action Network uses ‘Southasia’ as one word, “seeking to restore some of the historical unity of our common living space, without wishing any violence on the existing nation states”.
Southasia Peace Action Network 