This online reading group invites students and faculty working on South Asia, the Himalayas, or Nepal to read and discuss influential and/or recent academic literature in the field of Nepal Studies. The readings, mostly monographs, may range from textual to ethnographic and visual studies, covering literature, historical, anthropological, sociological, political, as well as art historical material, including visual works such as documentaries or picture books. Occasionally, the group is joined by the respective author for a first-hand account of the writing or editing process. Meetings take places online, Thursdays, 11:00–12:30 pm EST.
This academic year the groups special focus will look at how people in and of Nepal — especially “youth” — navigate shifting political landscapes and questions of cultural identity. Through ethnography, history, and media studies, we hope to consider how these dynamics both shape and are shaped by everyday life.
The group’s sessions are as follows:
Oct. 2: Laura Kunreuther, Voicing Subjects: Public Intimacy and Mediation in Kathmandu (2014).
Nov. 6: Nepal in the Long 1950s, edited by Pratyoush Onta, Lokranjan Parajuli, and Mark Liechty
Dec. 4: Pranab Kharel, “Reading Nepali Transition (2006-2015)”
Feb. 5: Marie Lecomte-Tilouine, “Sacrifice and Violence: Reflection from an Ethnography in Nepal”
Mar. 5: Ina Zharkevich, Maoist People’s War and the Revolution of Everyday Life in Nepal
Apr. 9: Monica Mottin, Rehearsing for Life: Theatre for Social Change in Nepal
To join and to receive the readings and the Zoom invite, please contact Gaurav Shrestha and Ian Turner.
