Usha Sherchan

Usha Sherchan (née Bhattachan; born 22 August 1955) is a Nepalese poet, lyricist and writer.[1] She has published three collections of poetry, a collection of short stories and a novel. She has also written lyrics for five music albums. She writes about various social and feminism issues in her poems and stories. She is one of the few writers in Nepal who writes stories about queer people.[2]

Usha Sherchan
उषा शेरचन
Born
Usha Bhattachan

(1955-08-22) 22 August 1955
Nalamukh, Pokhara, Kaski district
NationalityNepalese
Alma materPrithivi Narayan Campus
Occupation(s)Poet, lyricist, writer
Notable workAadhi (2019)
Spouse
D.B. Sherchan
​
(m. 1982)​
Children2
Parents
  • Jhapat Bahadur Bhattachan (father)
  • Yam Kumari Bhattachan (mother)

Early life and education

Sherchan was born on 22 August 1955 (6 Bhadra 2012 BS) in Nalamukh in Pokhara city in a Thakali family to father Jhapat Bahadur Bhattachan and mother Yam Kumari Bhattachan. After completing her school level education (SLC), her parents urged her to get married but she decided to move to Kathmandu for further education. Her father worked for the royal family as in‐charge of Hima Griha palace in Pokhara and the royal family assisted her for her further education. She attended Ratna Rajya Laxmi Campus in Kathmandu.[3] She then attended Prithvi Narayan Campus in Pokhara for her bachelor's studies.

Literary career

In Prithivi Narayan Campus, she met various writers such as Saru Bhakta, Tirtha Shrestha, Prakat Prageni Shiva, Binod Gauchan etc. She used to write poems in her notebook since studying in RR Campus but didn't published it. Her friend Binod Gauchan saw Jindagi, one of her poems and sent it to Gorkhapatra, the national daily and her poem was published in Gorkhapatra in 1978. She, along with fellow writers started a writer's club named Pokhreli Yuwa Sanskriti Pariwar in Pokhara, directed by Durga Baral.[4]

She published her first poetry collection titled Najanmeka Asthaharu in 1991.[5] Her second book, Aksharharuka Shiwirbata is a collection of couplets (Muktak) and was published in 1999. Sarwakaleen Pinda Ra Jagritika Shankhaghosh, her third poetry collection was published in 2006.

In 2009, she published a short story about a closeted gay man being pressured to get married.[6] In 2013, she published her first short story collection Tesro Rang.[7] The stories featured multiple characters form LGBTQI+ community.[8]

She published her first novel Aadhi in 2019.[9][10] The novel is about a woman who is sexually assaulted.[11]

Awards

She has received around 13 awards such as Parijat Rastriya Pratibha Puraskar and the Ratnashree Suwarna Padak for her contribution to literature and music.[3]

Notable works

Books

Title Genre Year of Publication
Najanmeka Asthaharu Poetry collection 1991
Aksharharuka Shiwirbata Poetry collection 1999
Sarwakaleen Pinda Ra Jagritika Shankhaghosh Poetry collection 2006
Tesro Rang Short story collection 2013
Aadhi Novel 2019

Music albums

Title Release year Role
Abhipsa 2001 Lyricist
Sanchayan 2002 Lyricist
Mero Mato Mero Geet 2003 Lyricist
Sambedan 2010 Lyricist
Aakash Chhune Rahar 2010 Lyricist

Personal life

She married D.B. Sherchan in 1982. They have a son and a daughter.[4]

See also

References
  1. "Inspired by reality". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 2022-02-24.
  2. Swechcha, Sangita (2019-11-03). "Three poets, three poems from Nepal: Tulasi Diwasa, Usha Sherchan and Govinda Giri Prerna". Global Literature in Libraries Initiative. Retrieved 2022-02-22.
  3. Gurung, Muna. "Usha Sherchan: Humming a tune of her own". Retrieved 2022-02-22.
  4. "आँधीअघिको उषा". आँधीअघिको उषा (in Nepali). Retrieved 2022-02-22.
  5. "The sound of women's voices-- Nepali Times". archive.nepalitimes.com. Retrieved 2022-02-22.
  6. NESSMAN, RAVI. "Nepal beckons gay tourism market". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2022-02-22.
  7. "साहित्यकार उषा शेरचनको पुस्तक तेश्रो रंग अमेरिकामा विमोचित विजय थापा". Nepal Japan (in Nepali). Retrieved 2022-02-24.
  8. "जीवनको उत्तरार्धमा पहिलो उपन्यास लेख्ने दुस्साहस गरेकी छु: उषा शेरचन". Kharibot (in Nepali). Retrieved 2022-02-22.
  9. काठमाडौँ, रञ्जना निरौला. "हिंसाका ज्वारभाटामा अस्मिताको यात्रा". nagariknews.nagariknetwork.com (in Nepali). Retrieved 2022-02-22.
  10. "आधि लिएर आइन् उषा शेरचन". ThahaKhabar. Retrieved 2022-02-24.
  11. "उषा शेरचनको 'आधि'". उषा शेरचनको ‘आधि’ (in Nepali). Retrieved 2022-02-22.
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