Shrawan Mukarung Writes for the Marginalized

Why this is here: Mukarung began writing creatively at age fourteen because his school, Srijana Library, provided a space for art, literature, and cultural performances.

Shrawan Mukarung, a poet and novelist from Bhojpur district in Nepal, views literature as both personal release and a social duty. He began writing poems, songs, and plays at age fourteen, building a lasting impact on contemporary Nepali literature. Mukarung describes poetry arriving in two ways: as spontaneous emotion, like Wordsworth described, and as a deliberate, crafted process.

He notes a disconnect within Nepal’s education system, where foreign literary traditions often overshadow Nepali writers. Recognition from institutions like INALCO in France was needed before his work entered the Nepali curriculum. Mukarung prioritizes representing marginalized voices—farmers, women, Dalits, and indigenous people—in his work, seeing literature as a way to connect lived realities to political awareness.

His recent debut novel, Salaha, took three years to complete and involved immersive research. Mukarung intentionally experimented with form and emotional range.

He currently recommends works by BP Koirala, Indra Bahadur Rai, Dhanush Chandra Gotame, Narayan Wagle, and Buddhisagar. The author believes accumulated experience and maturity are now more valuable than knowledge alone, and his work continues to evolve.