About the Blogger

Keshab Sigdel (born in 1979 in Bardiya, Nepal) is a poet, editor, academic and a rights activist based in Kathmandu. His published poetry books include Samaya Bighatan (Dissolution of Time, Kathmandu: 2007), Six Strings (co-authored, Kathmandu: 2011), and Barve Sonca/Colours of the Sun (Poesis, Slovenia: 2017). Editor of An Anthology of Contemporary Nepali Poetry (Big Bridge, USA: 2016), he also edits two other journals Rupantaran (publication of Translation Department, Nepal Academy, the apex body of Literature and Arts in Nepal) and Of Nepalese Clay (English literary magazine of the Society of Nepali Writers in English).
         He has served as an editor for academic journals Perspectives on Higher Education (2016), SciMass (Islamabad, 2016-2017) Devkota Studies (2012-2014), Literary Studies (2009-2012), Chrysanthemum (2004), and Pragya (2006). He has convened several academic and literary conferences and seminars including Annual Conference of Literary Association of Nepal, Mahakavi Devkota Annual Conference, International Theater Seminar and NWEN Writing Workshops. He has also translated Indira Prasai's Nepali novel Ranamaya and Bhanubhakta Acharya's epic Ramayana into English.  His recent works of translations are Sashwat Aawaj: China (Collection of Modern Chinese Poetry, 2019) and Sashwat Aawaj: Nigeria (Anthology of Contemporary Nigerian Poetry, 2019). His translation of indigenous Nepali Poetry Shades of Colors is in the process of publication by Nepal Academy. Sigdel's poems and plays are taught in University and school level courses in Nepal. He is the recipient of literary awards, 'Bhanubhakta Swarna Padak' (2014) and 'Kalashree Srijana Puraskar' (2015) Rock Pebbles International Literary Award (2018) and Youth Year Moti Award for Literature (National Youth Fund, Government of Nepal, 2019).
        Sigdel is currently the International Committee Member of World Poetry Movement (www.wpm2011.org) based in Columbia which mobilizes literary organizations and festivals around the globe for social justice and world peace. He is also an organizer for 100 Thousand Poets for Change (a world wide poetry movement- https://www.100thousandpoetsforchange.com). He is also affiliated with literary organizations like Foundation of SARRC Writers and Literature, International PEN Nepal, Asia Pacific Writers and Translators Association (Australia) and Society of Nepali Writers in English. He is also the president of the Asian Center for Humanities.
        His poems are published in literary journals like Grey Sparrow (USA), Snow Jewel (USA), Syndic Literary Journal (USA), Sijo Saing'hwal  (South Korea), Naya Gyanodaya (India), Sanskritc Khabar (Calcutta, India), The Art of Being Human (Canada), World Haiku Anthology (Japan), Elastic (USA), Kabita Bangla (Bangladesh), The Independent (Bangladesh), Kampala Poetry Anthology (Uganda), Of Nepalese Clay (Nepal), Nawa Kavita (Nepal), PEN-Point (Nepal) and Kalashree (Nepal) along with translations in Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Chinese, Slovene, Kannada, Sambalpuri, Japanese, and South Korean. 
          He has participated in several academic and literary events including SAARC Literary Festival, Darianagar International Poetry Festival, South Asian Poetry Festival for Peace, Myanmar Poetry Concert, and ASEAN and Asia Literary Conference, China-South and East Asia Literary Conference,  China-International Poetry Festival, International Conference on Environment, and other academic seminars at home and abroad.

        He is also actively involved in human rights activism and has faced dozens of arrests and detentions for his works for the cause of human rights in the country. He has also served as the National Vice Chairperson of Nepal Section of Amnesty International, the world's largest human rights watch dog. He has extensively traveled to different parts of Nepal working for various social groups including local civil society leaders, women rights activist, local elected representatives, youths, teachers, police and army personals, administrators, lawyers, parliamentarians and politicians. He has involved himself in lobbying government in policy issues related to human rights. He has worked in issues of transitional justice, women and children rights and international laws, specifically, Rome Statute on International Criminal Court, and Arms Trade Treaty.
      Sigdel holds academic degrees and training in literature, law and human rights from Nepal, India and Sweden. He has traveled to India, China, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia, Bahrain, Myanmar, Sweden, Finland, Russia and the Netherlands to participate in literature and human rights related international meetings/ workshops and for study visits.

             Mr. Sigdel currently teaches poetry and cultural studies at the Central Department of English, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, as an assistant professor of English. He can be reached at keshab.sigdel@gmail.com