Sharada Sharma (born 1958; ) is a Nepali writer and poet. Her

debut novel A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to p ...

, ''Taap'', won the 2012 Padmashree Sahitya Samman award.

Early life and education

Sharada Sharma was born in 1958 in

Syangja Syangja District ( ne, स्याङ्जा जिल्ला; ), a part of Gandaki Province, is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal. The district, with Syangja bazaar (a small town) as its district headquarters, covers an area of ...

Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...

. Her father was a writer and editor who contributed to various Nepalese publications. Sharma first began writing poetry at eight years old while in

Pokhara Pokhara ( ne, पोखरा, ) is a metropolis, metropolitan city in Nepal, which serves as the capital of Gandaki Province. It is the List of cities in Nepal, second most populous city of Nepal after Kathmandu, with 518,452 inhabitants living ...

, where she spent a portion of her childhood. A natural introvert, she found solace in writing. With the support of her family, she attended

Tribhuvan University Tribhuvan University (TU; ne, त्रिभुवन विश्वविद्यालय) is a public university located in Kirtipur, Kathmandu. Established in 1959, TU is the oldest university in Nepal. In terms of enrollment, it is t ...

Kathmandu , pushpin_map = Nepal Bagmati Province#Nepal#Asia , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Bagmati Prov ...

, where she studied science and then arts, eventually graduating with a master's degree.

Career

Sharma first gained recognition in 1982 after publishing a poem in honor of the writer

B. P. Koirala Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala ( ne, विश्वेश्वरप्रसाद कोइराला; 8 September 1914 – 21 July 1982), (Nepali: 1971 B.S. Bhadra 24 - 2039 B.S Shrawan 6)better known as B. P. Koirala ( ne, बीपी ...

. In 1987, she published her first poetry collection, ''Boundless Emotions''. This was followed in 1991 with the short story collection ''Ruins of Convictions'' and in 1992 with the poetry collection ''After the War.'' In addition to poetry and short stories, she produced a book-length study of Koirala's female characters in 1996. Overall, she has written around a dozen books, including poetry, short stories, literary criticism, and novels. ''Taap'', her debut novel, was published in 2012 and won that year's Padmashree Sahitya Sammana, a prestigious Nepalese literary award. The novel weaves together narratives of various individuals from different backgrounds, switching perspectives throughout. It was followed by ''Kampa'', a 2016 novel inspired by the

April 2015 Nepal earthquake The April 2015 Nepal earthquake (also known as the Gorkha earthquake) killed 8,964 people and injured 21,952 more. It occurred at on Saturday, 25 April 2015, with a magnitude of 7.8 Mw or 8.1 Ms and a maximum Mercalli Intensity of X (''Extreme ...

. In 2020, her poetry collection ''Yatrama'' was shortlisted for the Madan Puraskar award, which was eventually won by Chandra Prakash Baniya's '' Maharani''. Sharma's writing often deals with themes of spirituality and mysteries of the universe, incorporating a woman's perspective. She conveys a feminist message in both her writing and her work as an activist, including with the Family Planning Association of Nepal.

Personal life

In 1978, Sharma married the politician

Narahari Acharya Narahari Acharya, ( Nepali:नरहरि आचार्य) a central member of Nepali Congress, assumed the post of the Minister of Law, Justice, Constituent Assembly, Parliamentary Affairs and Peace and Reconstruction on 25 February 2014 un ...

, with whom she has two children.

Selected works

Poems

* ''Seemanta Anubhooti'' ("Boundless Emotions," 1987) * ''Yuddhoparant'' ("After the War," 1992) * ''Swarnasutra'', ("Golden Rules," 1995) * ''Yatrama'' (2019)

Short stories

* ''Aasthako Bhagnawasesh'' ("Ruins of Convictions," 1991) * ''Agnisparsha'' ("A Touch of Fire," 2013)

Novels

* ''Taap'' ("Burning," 2012) * ''Kampa'' ("Tremors," 2016)

Literary criticism

* ''B.P. Koiralaka Naaripatra: Drishtikon ra Aakangshya'' ("B.P. Koirala’s Women Characters: Perspectives and Expectations," 1996)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharma, Sharada 1958 births Living people 20th-century Nepalese writers 21st-century Nepalese writers Nepali-language writers from Nepal 20th-century Nepalese poets 21st-century Nepalese poets Nepalese women poets Nepalese feminists People from Syangja District Tribhuvan University alumni Padmashree Sahitya Puraskar winners