Dinesh Adhikari, a prominent poet in Nepal, recently released his new poetry collection, Paniko Parade. The book’s launch marks a significant milestone in Adhikari’s career, celebrating 50 years since his poems were first published.
Speaking at the book launch event, Adhikari reflected on his long poetic journey. “My poetic parade began when two of my poems were published in Ratnashree in 1976,” he said. “From Antarka Chhita to Paniko Parade, my path in poetry has led me here.”
Adhikari shared his memories of visiting the homes of respected poets like Siddhicharan Shrestha, Kedar Man Vyathit, Bhupi Sherchan, and Basu Shashi. These poets’ homes were important literary destinations for him during his early career.
The poet also remembered the political activism he participated in during the late 1970s. In 1979, he supported freedom of expression, democracy, and a multiparty system, joining forces with senior poets such as Mohan Koirala, Hari Bhakta Katwal, and Bhawani Ghimire.
Adhikari’s life took another turn in 1981 when he became a government employee. The following year, he co-wrote the poem Samaya with Bishnu Vibhu Ghimire, which was published in Rastrapukar in 1982.
Paniko Parade consists of 77 selected poems written over the past 15 years. The collection is divided into seven sections, showcasing the diversity of Adhikari’s poetic voice.
Adhikari is also the winner of the prestigious Madan Puraskar for his earlier poetry collection Atirikta Abhilekh. His previous book, Bhariyako Bhugol, was also published by Nepalaya, the same publisher behind Paniko Parade.
Bimal Acharya, editor of Nepalaya, praised the poet’s work, saying, “Dinesh Adhikari presents a strong flow of emotions naturally and eloquently, which deeply resonates with readers. The 77 poems in Paniko Parade form a seven-colored canvas painted with the hues of his heart.”
Despite the notion that poetry has a smaller market compared to other literary genres, Nepalaya continues to publish one poetry collection every year to honor artistic and literary contributions.
Paniko Parade is 180 pages long and is priced at Rs. 525.
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