A non-profit organization dedicated to the world of words, the Bookworm Foundation is a collective of publishers, journalists and writers who are passionate about expanding the public sphere and creating democratic spaces in Nepal and beyond.
Registered at the Social Welfare Council, the Foundation aims to deepen our understanding of various issues, including politics, society, economy, gender and marginalized communities. Apart from the annual IME Nepal Literature Festival, the Foundation does one off events throughout the year, the most recent being the Rajaswala Utsav, which was held to celebrate menstruation, still a taboo topic in Nepal.
This year, the Bookworm Foundation took the IME Nepal Literature Festival to Janakpur, the historical capital city of Mithila and the center of politics and culture in Madhes. Held on the cusp of the Visit Nepal Year-2020, the Festival, which was held from November 8 to 10, 2019, drew enormous attention to Janakpur, helping promote the city’s cultural, religious and historical tourism. The Festival also provided the city showcase its recent strides in infrastructural development. Although it is too soon to speak, we are hopeful that the Festival will help raise awareness about Janakpur as a major destination in Nepal.