About Us
Bhutaneseliterature.com is a community literary website founded in 2009 by a group of dedicated young Bhutanese living abroad. It began as a blog; today it is a full literary archive of more than 350 writers and over 4,000 articles. It belongs to its community and, ultimately, to the nation.
Our mission is to preserve Bhutanese literature, language, and culture, and to promote the development of Bhutanese languages: Dzongkha, Nepali, and English.
What We Aim to Do
- To publish quality creative and intellectual writing
- To build profiles of established Bhutanese writers
- To document the history of Bhutanese literature
- To encourage young and emerging writers
- To help writers abroad publish their books
- To hold an annual conference that promotes Bhutanese literature
- To print selected works from the site and distribute them in Bhutan, India, Nepal, and beyond
- To expand publication to Dzongkha and other Bhutanese languages
History
Bhutaneseliterature.com began on 7 May 2009 as a WordPress blog, started by Ramesh Gautam, who now lives in Rogaland, Norway. Working closely with Yeti Raj Ajnabee, Rup Narayan Pokhrel, Sanchaman Khaling, and Dona Acharya, he led a campaign that quickly made the site popular.
The Board of Founders was announced in November 2009. In January 2010, the first Board of Editors was formed with a Chief Editor, a Managing Editor, and editors for the Nepali, English, and Dzongkha desks. The Dzongkha Desk remains vacant and will be filled as soon as possible.
In June 2011, Bhutaneseliterature.com became the official publication platform of the Literature Council of Bhutan (LCOB). It is managed by the LCOB Publication Board.
How We Are Organized
Bhutaneseliterature.com is run by volunteers through four bodies, and it is open to everyone regardless of caste, creed, sex, or ethnicity.
Founders. The site was founded by Ramesh Gautam, Yeti Raj Ajnabee, Rup Narayan Pokhrel, Sanchaman Khaling, and Dona Acharya, young Bhutanese studying abroad in 2009 who shaped its vision and mission.
Editorial Team. Experienced editors with strong literary and language skills lead the team, which consists of a Chief Editor, an Executive Editor, and desk editors. The team stays neutral and is responsible for all published content.
Board of Trustees. A membership-based board of founders, executives, editors, and general members. It nominates the editorial team.
Board of Directors. The administrative body, headed by an Executive Director and elected from the Board of Trustees. It oversees the site’s finances, communications, and technical operations.
Membership. Membership is voluntary and renewed annually. Members may vote in Board of Directors elections and stand as candidates. To join, contact the General Secretary.