Suman Pokhrel is a Nepali poet, lyricist, translator, playwright, literary organizer, artist, and development professional. His professional and creative activities have encompassed government service, community development, non-governmental organizations, consulting, training, research, translation, poetry, songwriting, theatre, literary programming, and participation in national and international literary forums. His literary works have been published, translated, performed, and incorporated into academic curricula in Nepal and abroad.

  

Suman Pokhrel was born on September 21, 1967, to Mukunda Prasad Pokhrel and Bhakta Devi Pokhrel in the Mills Area of Biratnagar, Nepal. He spent his early childhood in Biratnagar and subsequently lived for several years in Kachide, Dhankuta, where he was raised by his paternal grandmother. His paternal grandfather, Bidhyanath Pokhrel, was a poet and politician. Through his grandfather's personal library, Pokhrel encountered Nepali, Hindi, and classical Sanskrit literature at an early age. He later returned to Biratnagar to live with his parents. His father, Mukunda Prasad Pokhrel, was an engineer with an interest in literature and the arts, while his mother was Bhakta Devi Pokhrel.

 

Pokhrel completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics from Mahendra Morang Adarsha Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University, in 1992. In 1995, he completed a Master of Business Administration from Shankar Dev Campus, studying Accounting, Personnel Management, Statistics, Organizational Behavior, and Taxation as core subjects. In the same year, he obtained a Bachelor of Law from Tribhuvan University as a private student, with studies including International Law, Criminology, and Constitutional Law. He subsequently pursued a Master of Arts in Economics at the Post Graduate Campus in Biratnagar from 1996 to 1997.

 

Pokhrel began his professional career in the Nepal Civil Service. On February 15, 1995, he joined the service as a Section Officer. He initially served at Koshi Zonal Hospital, where his responsibilities included supporting the maintenance of an organized and hygienic healthcare environment.

 

On December 28, 1998, he moved to the development sector by joining Plan International Nepal as a rural development practitioner. He subsequently served as a Development Coordinator, managing integrated programs involving health, nutrition, education, and microfinance in Bhojpur district. His professional assignments later extended to Banke, Bara, Rautahat, and Morang districts, where he worked in different program areas.

 

At Plan International Nepal, Pokhrel also served as an Institutional Learning and Documentation Officer. In this capacity, he supported child-centered community development initiatives and contributed to gender integration and social inclusion through analytical reports, documentation, case studies, and case stories. He conducted capacity-building programs and training in report writing, proposal development, project management, case study and case story writing, child rights and child protection policy, environmental sanitation, leadership development, time management, and creative writing.

 

In 2007, Pokhrel joined the Center for Social Mobilization (CENSOM) as a Program Coordinator. He was involved in planning, implementing, and monitoring community development initiatives in eastern Nepal and worked with government agencies and non-governmental organizations in coordination and collaborative development activities. From 2008, he served as Managing Director of the Institution Promotion and Resource Center, where he conducted training programs and workshops related to community development.

 

Since 2010, Pokhrel has worked independently as a freelance consultant in training, research, translation, facilitation, and related areas. His consulting assignments have covered community development, capacity building, advocacy, accounting, taxation, business planning, agricultural business formalization, project implementation, and child rights and protection. His translation assignments have included legal documents, educational materials, technical reports, and creative works.

 

He has undertaken baseline surveys and situation assessments in different parts of Nepal. His assignments have included assessments of development conditions in Village Development Committees in Sunsari district in 2013; situation assessments in rural municipalities of Jumla in 2017 and 2018; and assessments of municipalities and rural municipalities in Dhanusha in 2021 and 2022. In April 2018, he facilitated a creative writing training program for young writers in Ilam.

 

In 2022 and 2023, he led Training of Trainers programs on accounting, taxation, and business planning in Dhankuta and Ilam, respectively. From 2023 through early 2025, he also provided training services to Tapasaya Business Management Pvt. Ltd., an audit firm based in Kathmandu, in areas associated with financial and enterprise-sector capacity development.

 

Pokhrel's literary activities began in 1999. In that year, he published his first poetry collection, Shoonya Mutuko Dhadkanbhitra, through Vani Publication in Biratnagar. He also released the song Aaja Yo Andhyarole, for which he wrote the lyrics and composed the music; the vocals were performed by Bednidhi Poudel.

 

In 2002, Pokhrel published his second poetry collection, Hazaar Aankhaa Yee Aankhaamaa, a collection of lyrical poems. His third poetry collection, Jeevanko Chheubaata, was published in 2009 and received the Jayendra Best Book of the Year award in the same year.

 

Pokhrel's literary work has included poetry, translation, lyrical adaptation, and engagement with works from different linguistic and literary traditions. In 2014, he rendered Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala's poem Euta Sandhi: Ek Samjhouta into lyrical form under the title Ananta ra Kshanka Beech. The work was presented on August 17, 2014, during the Birat Bishweshwar Bimarsha program at Aarohan Gurukul in Biratnagar.

 

His anthology Manpareka Kehi Kavita, published on April 20, 2018, contains Nepali translations of 63 poems by 15 poets from different parts of the world. In August 2018, Nepal Academy published his Nepali translation of William Shakespeare's The Tempest under the title Aandhibehari. His Nepali translations of Kannada poetry were subsequently published as Bharat Shashwat Aawaz, an anthology containing 51 poems by 51 Kannada poets, released in April 2019.

 

In addition to these publications, Pokhrel has translated and published works by more than one hundred poets and writers from different parts of the world into Nepali, English, Hindi, and Urdu. His published literary output includes eight books, in addition to collections of translations and other literary works.

 

His poetry has appeared in international journals and anthologies, including The Poetry of South Asia, Snow Jewel, and Oxygen: Parables of Pandemic, as well as literary journals such as Asian Signature, Best Poem, California Quarterly, and Grey Sparrow Journal. His poems have also been translated into several languages.

 

Pokhrel's poetry has been incorporated into academic curricula at universities and colleges in Nepal and India. His poem You are as You are was included in the postgraduate English syllabus of the University of Kerala in 2014 and subsequently in the M.A. English curriculum of GD Goenka University in 2016. The poem is also included in the M.A. English curricula of Mar Ivanios College (Autonomous), TKM College of Arts & Science (Autonomous), and Catholicate College (Autonomous).

 

His poem Standing in a Market was included in Tribhuvan University's B.Ed. curriculum in 2018. His Nepali poem Taj Mahal ra Mero Prem is included in the undergraduate syllabus of Purbanchal University, while its English translation is included in the B.A. curriculum of Cauvery College for Women (Autonomous).

 

Pokhrel has contributed to Nepali music primarily through songwriting and lyric writing. His first documented song, Aaja Yo Andhyarole, was released in 1999 with his lyrics and musical composition and vocals by Bednidhi Poudel.

 

On September 21, 2017, he released the music album Bhitra Kahaan Kahaan. The album consists of eight songs featuring his lyrics, with music composed by Bednidhi Poudel.

 

On March 9, 2019, he released the music album Yo Ke Bhayo. The album contains eight songs featuring his lyrics, with compositions and vocal performances by various artists.

 

His lyrical work has also been incorporated into performance traditions beyond conventional recorded music. On August 16, 2018, the Bharatnatyam performance An Unheard Plea, featuring lyrics by Suman Pokhrel and Jayanti and music composed and performed by Sudha Raghuraman, premiered at La MaMa Experimental Theater Club in New York.

 

Pokhrel has contributed to theatre through playwriting, adaptation, and literary work associated with performance. His theatrical adaptation Yajnaseni premiered on October 2, 2016, at the Irvin Art Center in Dallas, Texas, United States.

 

His theatrical, lyrical, and poetic works have subsequently been performed in the United States and in countries in Asia and Europe.

 

In addition to publication, Pokhrel has participated in poetry recitals and literary programs in Nepal. On March 28, 2015, he presented a poetry recital in the monthly two-poet program Mukta Anubhuti, organized by Shilpee Theatre at Gothale Theatre Hall in Battisputali, Kathmandu.

 

On April 14, 2017, he performed at the monthly two-poet program We: Poet and Poetry, organized by Sarvanam Theatre at its theatre hall in Kalikasthan, Kathmandu.

 

On November 23, 2019, he assumed responsibility for directing the poetry recital series Kavyaarohan for Aarohan Gurukul in Biratnagar. On February 19, 2022, he performed a solo poetry recital in Episode 8 of Season 1 of Kavyaarohan, the series that he directed.

 

On October 23, 2022, he presented a solo poetry recital in Biratnagar organized by the Devkota Library to commemorate the 114th birth anniversary of Mahakavi Laxmi Prasad Devkota.

 

His literary organizational activities continued in 2025. On June 12–13, 2025, he directed the two-day literary festival Birat Bangamaya Utsav, organized by Aarohan Gurukul in Biratnagar.

 

Pokhrel has participated in literary festivals, conferences, and international literary forums in South Asia and other regions. In 2008, he participated in three international literary events in India. On February 16, he participated in an International Literary Meet in Raipur, Chhattisgarh; on February 17, he participated in the International Flash Fiction Festival in Raipur; and on February 22, he participated in the SAARC First-ever Festival of Young Poets in Bhubaneswar, Orissa.

 

He subsequently participated in SAARC Festivals of Literature and related literary events in India, including the 29th SAARC Festival of Literature in Agra on March 13, 2009, the 31st SAARC Festival of Literature in New Delhi on March 26, 2010, and later SAARC literary activities in New Delhi. He also participated as a Nepali delegate in the SAARC Charter Day Celebration in New Delhi on December 8, 2013.

 

On October 17, 2014, he participated as a Nepali delegate in the SAARC Sufi Festival in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

 

On February 13, 2015, he participated in the 37th SAARC Festival of Literature in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, and on the same occasion received the SAARC Literary Award for the second time. His participation in SAARC literary activities formed part of a broader pattern of engagement with South Asian literary institutions and forums.

 

On February 6, 2016, he participated in the All India Poets' Meet in Konark, India, as an honored guest poet from a foreign country.

 

In February 2017, he participated as a Nepali delegate in the South Asian Literature Festival in New Delhi, including programs held on February 16 and February 24. He also participated in the South Asian Literature Festival in New Delhi on October 4, 2018.

 

On March 7, 2019, he participated as a Nepali delegate in VISHWARANG, the World Literature Festival, in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. On September 4, 2019, he participated as a South Asian delegate in the First Forum of Asian Countries' Writers in Noor Sultan, Kazakhstan.

 

His international literary participation continued through online and regional forums during the 2020s. He participated in the South Asian Online Literary Conference on March 17, 2021, and in the South Asian Literary Conference on October 8, 2021. On March 24, 2022, he participated in the BIMSTEC Literary Conference on the theme "Environment and Literature." He also participated in the FOSWAL Literature Festival on November 8, 2022, and again in New Delhi on March 26, 2023.

 

On March 10, 2023, he attended the Shaluk International Literature Conference organized by Shaluk magazine in Dhaka, Bangladesh, where he received the Shaluk International Literature Award. On July 1, 2023, Spillwords Press honored him as its "Author of the Month" for June 2023. On December 3, 2023, he received the Asia's Inspiring Poet Award 2023 at an event held at Breeze Residency in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India.

 

In December 2024, Pokhrel participated in the International Literary Forum in Moscow, Russia, representing South and Southeast Asia. From December 5 to 8, he presented his perspectives on contemporary poetry and literary questions associated with the relationship between humanity and the world.

 

On December 5, 2024, he shared his insights on "Visions of the World and Human in 21st-Century Poetry" during a session of the International Literary Forum. On December 7, he was featured in the Foreign Writers and Translators Series organized by the Center for Oriental Literature at the Russian State Library in Moscow.

 

These activities placed his work within an international setting involving writers, translators, literary institutions, and representatives of different geographical regions.

 

Pokhrel continued his international literary activities in 2025. On September 29–30, 2025, he represented Nepal as a special delegate at the literary festival VISHWA RANG 2025 – Sri Lanka. During the event, he presented his poem Aama ra Manche together with his own Hindi translation and also presented his Hindi translation of his poem Taj Mahal ra Mero Prem. His participation included literary presentation and cultural exchange between Nepal and other South Asian literary communities.

 

From November 27 to 30, 2025, he participated in Vishwarang, a world festival of art and literature held at Ravindra Bhawan in Bhopal, India, as one of its distinguished world poets. On November 28, he presented his poems during the World Poetry Session at Ravindra Bhawan as part of the festival.

 

On January 4, 2026, a Russian translation of his poetry collection Jeevanko Chheubaata was published in Moscow through Russian Gulliver under the title Ot Berega Zhizn (От берега жизни). The publication represents a further extension of his poetry into the Russian literary and translation context.

 

Pokhrel has received literary awards and professional recognitions in Nepal and abroad. His awards and honors include the Parikalpana Nepali Sahitya Samman in 2012; the SAARC Literary Award in 2013 and again in 2015; the Sasiddhi National Talent Award in 2019; the Bhanu Medal in 2022; the Aarohan Poetry Honor in 2022; and the Babarsingh Thapa Memorial Award in 2022.

 

On April 11, 2019, he received the Sasiddhi National Talent Award, conferred by Nepali Kala Sahitya Dot Com Pratishthan and presented by the Vice President of Nepal, Nanda Bahadur Pun.

 

On February 19, 2022, he received the Aarohan Poetry Honor from Aarohan Gurukul in Biratnagar. On July 17, 2022, he received the Babarsingh Thapa Memorial Award, conferred by the Babarsingh Devkumari Thapa Trust in Biratnagar.

 

In 2023, he received the Shaluk International Literary Award in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and the Asia's Inspiring Poet Award 2023 in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India. He was also recognized by Spillwords Press as its Author of the Month for June 2023.

 

Translation constitutes a significant component of Pokhrel's literary practice. His translation activities have extended across Nepali, English, Hindi, and Urdu and have included poetry, drama, legal and educational materials, technical documents, and other literary and professional texts.

 

His translations of international poetry include works by poets from different linguistic and geographical traditions. Manpareka Kehi Kavita brought 63 poems by 15 poets from different parts of the world into Nepali. Bharat Shashwat Aawaz presented Nepali translations of 51 poems by 51 Kannada poets. His translation of Shakespeare's The Tempest as Aandhibehari further extended his engagement with world literature.

 

His own poetry has likewise circulated through translation. His poems have appeared in international journals and anthologies and have been translated into several languages. The publication of Ot Berega Zhizn (От берега жизни), the Russian translation of Jeevanko Chheubaata, in Moscow in January 2026 represents a continuation of this cross-linguistic circulation of his work.

 

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Pokhrel married Goma Dhungel on May 12, 2001, in Biratnagar, Nepal. They have two children. Their first child, Ojaswee, was born on October 8, 2003, and their second child, Ajesh, also known as Mansoon, was born on January 16, 2007.

 

His father, Mukunda Prasad Pokhrel, died in Biratnagar on February 11, 2006. His mother, Bhakta Devi Pokhrel, died in Kathmandu on January 4, 2014.

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