The Last Word

27/02/2026

Please vote for this Nepali novel to win - it takes 2 minutes!

The discovery of the body of her cousin Gauri in a locked room at a wedding catapults 21-year old Rachana Rathor into the thick of a murder mystery that rocks high society in Kathmandu, Nepal. In this colourful whodunit, Rachana finds herself progressing from an observer to a participant in a chain of events that threaten to pull in and destroy her family.

https://app.libraro.com/manuscript/details/a9aee4a8-d704-42d8-8192-93ba40512554/7whxG9iGz0ZsN4rW?fbclid=IwY2xjawQOl9ZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeYQVGl4y9JWdNcV2qSDgmCypqLipY-ib_-9YnGcX-L9Na8drAyE5PFUzCTuw_aem__LorFMYpoY1zIIu3tK0wmQ

21/02/2026

Vote with the link below to publish this crime novel set in Nepal: the mystery of a murder at her cousin's wedding leads Rachana to look for the killer at considerable risk to herself:

Excerpt:
"... The room was naturally dark and slightly musty, having only one window high up, so she found herself peering around. She sneezed, once. But once Rachana’s eyes adjusted she noticed a lot of differently sized and colourful packages strewn around the room. She had never been in this room before, and it took some time for her to understand the layout. Ah, these are the wedding
presents, of course, this was the room for presents, she realised. During weddings, a room was usually designated for valuables and presents, as there were so many guests. She scanned the room, marvelling at how many presents were stacked up already – probably mostly trays and a crystal decoration if you were lucky. But of course there were always the grander presents, the little carved silver pots, the gold coins, and several gold and diamond jewellery sets. Rachana’s eyes settled on a dark mass in the far corner that didn’t look like a present,, but a shapeless sack. She stepped forward slowly. It looked curiously like someone lying down. She stepped forward again, and for some reason, her feet felt as though they were incased in treacle.
It felt as though everything was slowing down, and she was suddenly acutely aware of her breathing."

24/10/2020

Proud that our editor Rabi Thapa's book on Thamel made it into the Guardian's top ten books about the Himalayas. You can order it online via Vajra Books! More info at https://rabi-thapa.com/books/

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/oct/21/top-10-books-about-the-himalayas

Along with spectacular adventures, these books record a richly diverse culture that has often been missed in accounts of derring-do

25/02/2020

Do we call ourselves Nepalese or Nepali? Vote in the comments below!

03/03/2017

Are you writing to express or impress? Complex does not have to be complicated: http://bit.ly/2m4OgOS

08/02/2016

Follow on twitter and get the latest bloopers, blunders and plain bad English fresh from the press!

08/02/2016

Neplish no-nos #31: If you have to use abbreviations, ensure clarity. FinMin? WatMin? Or the MinnyMin to the right?

24/09/2015

If you're holding a writing workshop, please learn how to write first. Even if it's free.

24/09/2015

Rather unfortunate typo in Prashant Jha's latest article in the Hindustan Times...and we don't mean 'a cheers'

16/09/2015

Flabbergasbag: Flabby person, full of hot gas and possessing a unique ability to astonish anyone who cares to listen. Example: "That Prachanda just claimed the Maoists might merge with UML. He sure is a flabbergasbag!"

07/09/2014

Neplish no-nos #30: Oxymorons only impress morons. In the tourism business, there's no such thing as 'luxurious economy'.