Baba Betar Chobimela 2021.
https://chobimela.org
Word Warriors are a Kathmandu-based group of young poets leading the spoken word movement in Nepal. We have been performing, conducting events, competitions and workshops, all over Nepal, sharing the platform that spoken word provides for youth expression and voice.
The history of Word Warriors is closely tied to our mentor, partner and parent organization Quixote’s Cove (QC) bookshop. In December 2010, the perception of poetry changed for many youths, when the bookshop, in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy, organized QC Awards 2010: Voice Your Words, the first ever slam poetry event in Nepal.
A few Nepali poets and some keen participants from the slam poetry workshop and competition then decided to give continuity to this art form they had fallen in love with and in the coordination of QC, formed the Word Warriors, Nepal’s first spoken word poetry group.
We started out by performing at various literary and art events, at local cafes, bar and soon began organizing our own events and conducting workshops- which was yet another step for our budding group.
Over the years we’ve been trained under international spoken word and have many new members join us. Our facebook group that started out with 15 people has now a following of thousands of members from all over Nepal and abroad, actively writing and engaging in the online platform. This marks a start of a genuine grass root movement among the urban youth of the country.
We’ve now conducted workshops at various schools in different parts of Nepal, organized inter-school slam poetry competitions in and outside Kathmandu, performed at various venues, at schools, universities, children homes, cafes and in concerts, art exhibitions, conferences, street demonstrations and national literary gatherings, where the young and the old alike have experienced the transformative and enthusiastic power of spoken word poetry .
We’ve also taken a step further to spread spoken word poetry and create platform for expression through several of our programs, from monthly open-mic events to in-school workshops and long term projects like Write to Speak that works with the members of marginalized communities to bring out their voices and stories.