Founded in Kathmandu in 2026, Nepal Narratives is an independent publication devoted to long-form writing about the people, places, and ideas that shape this country.
Nepal gets covered in two ways: as a backdrop for adventure — permits, summits, altitude records — or as a crisis, trotted out whenever there's a disaster or political upheaval. Both are real. But neither is the whole picture.
"There are thousands of quiet, remarkable stories happening here every day. We want to tell them slowly, carefully, and in full."
Nepal Narratives was started by a small group of writers and photographers based in Kathmandu who believed that this country's stories deserve to be told with the same depth and care that international outlets reserve for stories elsewhere. Not as curiosities. Not as tragedies. But as the rich, complex, ordinary-extraordinary narratives of a living place.
We are independent. We carry no advertising. We have no agenda beyond good writing. Every story we publish is free to read, and every writer we work with is paid fairly for their work.
We take the space a story needs. No "top 10 temples," no clickbait. Writing that rewards patience.
Our writers live here. This isn't parachute journalism. The stories come from people with roots and relationships in Nepal.
We let subjects speak in their own voice — unfiltered, unrushed, and without the condescension of the outside gaze.
Every story is free. We are supported by readers who choose to subscribe — not by advertisers who need something in return.
Every writer and photographer we publish is paid. Good journalism cannot survive on "exposure" alone.
We are not a trend, a newsletter, or a side project. We are building an archive of Nepal's stories for the long term.
The idea for Nepal Narratives came out of a frustration shared by several Kathmandu-based writers who had spent years pitching Nepal stories to international outlets — and watching them either get rejected ("not universal enough") or accepted and then flattened into something unrecognisable.
Rather than continue pitching, they decided to build something of their own. A publication where Nepal was not a backdrop but the centre. Where stories could breathe. Where the intended audience was people who already cared about this country — whether they were from here, had visited, or simply wanted to understand the world more fully.
We launched with a small team, a tight editorial vision, and zero advertising. The plan is to grow slowly, deliberately, and well.
Former journalist at Kantipur Publications with over a decade of reporting from across Nepal. Covers culture, heritage, and the lives of women in Nepal's hills and Terai.
Documentary photographer based in Pokhara. Has spent a decade photographing mountain communities, seasonal migration, and the changing face of Nepali cities.
Writes about food, identity, and the Limbu community of eastern Nepal. Based between Kathmandu and Taplejung. Her work has appeared in regional publications across South Asia.
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We welcome pitches from writers, photographers, and storytellers based in Nepal or writing about it. We pay for every piece we publish.