Kathmandu, June 23
Bookaholics, a literary platform on Facebook with 26,000 members dedicated to cultivating a culture of reading in Nepal, has completed 100 sessions of its monthly Chakati Bahas series—an informal, community-driven discussion forum centered around books.
The 100th edition was held on Friday at Martin Chautari, where participants engaged in a discussion on Bahurupi, a short story collection by Shreyas Subedi.
Unlike traditional narrative structures, Bahurupi is divided into six segments and features 15 stories that traverse diverse themes and styles. Poets and critics Elisa Eklash and Sudarshan Paudel shared their reflections on the book during the session.
Eklash remarked that reading Bahurupi felt like “watching episodes of a crime series”—gripping and unpredictable. Paudel praised Subedi’s ability to portray complex layers of society with compelling storytelling, while also noting that the book would have benefited from stronger editing.
On the occasion, Ganesh Karki, a central committee member of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and an admin of Bookaholics, shared his personal reflections. He stated that Bookaholics has helped him in many ways throughout his journey. He also highlighted that the enthusiasm of Saguna Shah—from the very first session he attended to this 100th one—has remained unwavering. It is this spirit, he said, that has fueled the platform’s growth. He extended his heartfelt gratitude to everyone present for being part of this inspiring literary movement.
Founded with the mission to promote a reading culture and encourage young readers and writers, Bookaholics has been consistently active through its Facebook community and in-person gatherings. Under the leadership of Saguna Shah, the group has become a well-loved space for literary engagement in Nepal.
Over the years, Chakati Bahas has featured discussions on books like Fossil, Reading Lolita in Tehran, Madhavi, the Harry Potter series, and Abhijit, among others. In 2024, the Chakati Bahas series was dedicated entirely to works by female authors, aligning with the group’s commitment to inclusivity and diversity in literature.
In addition to Chakati Bahas, Bookaholics also successfully completed 100 episodes of Shrasta Sanga Sakaathkar, a Facebook Live interview series with authors that began during the COVID-19 lockdown.
As Bookaholics turns the page on its 100th Bahas, the community looks ahead to continuing its journey of shared reading, critical conversation, and literary exploration.
