Nepali poet Mani Lohani on life, literature, and the world of poetry

“If death is inevitable, why fear it?”

Originally published on Global Voices

Mani Lohani is a Nepali writer and television journalist who has been active for more than three decades in poetry and fiction. Originally from Nuwakot town in the Bagmati Province of central Nepal, he is widely recognized for exploring themes of love, life, human relationships, and the profound mysteries surrounding death in his writing. His notable works include the poetry collection Malami Saajh and the story collections Parast Prem and Nirbastra Man. His book Mrityuko Aghiltir earned a major national award for outstanding literary creation.

Lohani has received several prestigious honors, including the Bhanumati Award, the Sarbottam Katha Award, the Banitashree Byathit Poetry Award, and the Sasiddhi Rastriy KalaShree Youth Award. His poems and stories have been translated into multiple languages and are included in school-level curricula in Nepal.

Sangita Swechcha of Global Voices interviewed Mani Lohani via email to learn more about his decades-long journey as a writer and television journalist, his contributions to Nepali poetry and fiction, and his exploration of themes such as love, human relationships, and the mysteries of death.

Sangita Swechcha (SS): Over your decades-long career, how have your views on love, mysteries of death, and human relationships evolved in your writing?

Mani Lohani (ML): The relationship between human beings and its ups and downs is a subject of my interest. If people around the world are under stress, it is because of relationships. Love is the main reason that makes human life energetic and happy. But love does not fall to everyone’s share. Because of people who are dissatisfied in love and relationships, various anarchic activities have increased in society. If society is to be made beautiful, everyone must live with love. Everyone deserves a pleasant relationship. I am writing with this focus. Love is both a human search and a satisfaction.

In recent times, people are afflicted by fear of death. Death is not fear — it is a natural aspect of human life. A person who accepts death naturally can remain joyful. For the sake of building a joyful society, I am also writing about death and its mysteries. To find answers, I read books on death found in Eastern philosophy, which helped me understand death not as fear but as a natural process. After being born, a human must die. If death is inevitable, why fear it? From birth itself, death is with us. But this certainty does not mean hopelessness. One can live joyfully and lovingly, be helpful to others, and proud of oneself. In my writings, I am advocating exactly this.

Sangita Swechcha (SS): Your works range from poetry to fiction. How do you approach these genres differently, and what unique possibilities does each offer?

Mani Lohani (ML): Poetry and story are different. In poetry, deep experiences of life are expressed in few words, whereas story is connected to society. Simply put, poetry concerns an individual’s mind, while story concerns the psychology of society. Poetry is like a mantra and can connect a person to meditation, whereas story is a practice of transforming society. However, readers do not have to understand poetry and story as I do. They are free to interpret stories and poems according to their own understanding and the pleasure they feel while reading.

I write both stories and poems, aiming to communicate easily with the human mind. While writing, I keep in mind readers who are more filled with knowledge and experience but cannot express it. I like to write their feelings in a way they themselves can understand.

Sangita Swechcha (SS): How do you see contemporary Nepali poetry interacting with global literary trends, and what international influences resonate with your work?

Mani Lohani (ML): In recent times, society has become a global village. A poem written in one corner of the world can easily be available elsewhere. For this reason, not only poetry but all human activity is becoming global. We poets in Nepal have given importance to translation to take our works to the global market. We are serious about ensuring good poems reach the world audience and have made various efforts. Through translation and literary activities, exchanges with world literature are taking place.

Regarding international influence on my poetry, because I am connected to communication, I stay updated with national and international news and am influenced by events linked to human sensitivity. While reading great writers of world literature, I have found opportunities to learn from their writing and refine myself. Recently, I have been enriched by the styles of emerging writers in world literature.

Sangita Swechcha (SS): Many of your works have been translated and are included in school curricula. How do you navigate the balance between local cultural specificity and universal appeal?

Mani Lohani (ML): As I said earlier, as the world moves forward as a global village, translation has made world literature accessible in every country and language. I was born in a village near Kathmandu and spent my childhood and later years in the Kathmandu Valley. The Kathmandu Valley is a cultural city. Its architecture and culture can become meaningful material for world literature. I try to incorporate local cultural distinctiveness into my writing and experiment with my style.

Even amid local cultural diversity, the human mind and its loneliness are the same everywhere. People have become lonely. I use local culture and love to connect that loneliness with the collective. I believe my creations can help fill the emptiness of the human heart. Loneliness is universal, but if understood, it can be transformed into joy.

Globally, we face sufferings — climate change, coronavirus, terrorism, and frustrations from growing technology use. Improvement cannot happen through individual effort alone. Cooperation across society is necessary. Sports, literature, and creative expression can help connect people and foster understanding worldwide.

Sangita Swechcha (SS): What do you hope your readers, both in Nepal and abroad, take away from your poetry and stories, especially regarding life’s deeper questions?

Mani Lohani (ML): I hope readers, both in Nepal and abroad, come away with a deeper understanding of life through my exploration of love and death, the two forces that shape our most profound human experiences. Through the emotional world of relationships, their beauty, fragility, and struggle, I wish to remind readers that much of human suffering grows from love and its absence, and that a harmonious society can exist only when love is nurtured.

At the same time, I reflect on death to encourage a more peaceful acceptance of its inevitability. Rather than despair, I hope readers choose awareness, kindness, joy, and a desire to serve others. Ultimately, I want my work to inspire people to live more consciously, lovingly, and meaningfully.