Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: A research-based book documenting the history of literature created by Nepali communities living abroad has been published.
Written by Prof. Dr. Khagendra Prasad Luitel, the book titled Aapravasi Nepali Sahityako Itihas (History of Nepali Diaspora Literature), has been described as the first comprehensive history of Nepali diaspora literature. It documents literary works produced by Nepali and Nepali-speaking communities in more than 32 countries across different continents.
The book is divided into two sections. The first section provides a theoretical discussion of migration, migrants and the diaspora, including the development and classification of diaspora communities, different types of Nepali migrants and the relationship between migration and literature. It also examines the internationalization and globalization of Nepali literature.
The second volume presents the history of Nepali literature produced in different countries, organized by country, literary genre and chronology. It covers poetry, fiction, novels, drama, essays, reviews and criticism, among other genres. Works published in English by Nepali writers and edited collections have also been included in some cases.
The book covers Nepali literature from countries in North America, Europe, Oceania, Asia and Africa. These include the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Israel, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and several other countries.
Luitel said compiling the history was challenging because Nepali literature has been produced across widely dispersed communities and there is no systematic archive of works published abroad.
He said he collected information and materials my visiting countries with active Nepali literary communities and through literary organizations, writers and community members.
Luitel has called for the creation of a dedicated website and database to systematically archive Nepali diaspora literature. He said details such as authors, titles, genres and publication years should be recorded as soon as books are published.
Luitel, who has taught and conducted research in Nepali literature and related fields at Tribhuvan University, has published more than 100 books. This is his second major work on diaspora studies, following Diasporako Saidhhantik Swarup (Theoretical Form of Diaspora).
