The Toronto Newar Summer School offers participants the opportunity to learn to speak the idiom of the Kathmandu Valley, access the rich Buddhist and Hindu literature preserved in Classical Newar, and engage with the texts of a vibrant contemporary Himalayan literary culture.
Program Overview
Participants may enroll in one, two, or all three modules depending on their interests in spoken Newar, modern literary Newar, or classical literary Newar.
All levels are welcome:
Beginner: Introduction to the language
Intermediate: Development of conversational and reading skills
Advanced: Supervised translation of texts from editions and manuscripts
Courses & Instructors
Conversational Newar
Instructor: Srilaxmi Shrestha, M.A. (Leiden, Netherlands)
Acclaimed teacher of Newar and Nepali language
Includes daily practice supported by tutorials with Ian Turner, M.A. (University of Toronto)
Modern Literary Newar
Instructor: Dr. Bal Gopal Shrestha
Anthropologist of Newar Buddhism; author of The Sacred Town of Sankhu (2012)
Classical Newar Language & Literature
Instructor: Dr. Christoph Emmrich (University of Toronto)
Specialist in Newar religion and literary traditions
Schedule
Format: Online
Days: Monday to Saturday (Sundays off)
Time: 7:00 AM – 2:00 PM EST (Toronto time)
Each module runs in a two-hour daily time slot
Conversational Newar includes an additional daily one-hour tutorial
A full schedule will be circulated to participants in April.
Teaching & Learning
All course materials are provided online
The program includes additional lectures on Newar language and literature
Lectures are delivered by invited scholars in both English and Newar
Registration
Deadline: March 31, 2025
Fee: Free of charge
Contact: Christoph Emmrich — christoph.emmrich@utoronto.ca
