Kathmandu, Australian Ambassador to Nepal Felicity Volk and world-renowned Himalayan poet Yuyutsu Sharma released the Australia special issue of literary magazine, Pratik, entitled ‘Fire and Rain’ today.

The special issue released at a ceremony held at the Australian Embassy includes poems, stories and essays by Australian poets and artists, as well as a long interview conducted by editor Sharma with Ambassador Volk.

Pratik, a literary English magazine published from Nepal, has come out with this special issue in collaboration with Asia Pacific Writers and Translators and Red Room Poetry.

The issue includes poems by Alison J Barton, Dan Dinsey, Elif Sezen, Emilie Collyer, Jill Jones, Jude Aquilina, Peter Boyle, Rozanna Lilley, Anne-Marie Te Whiu, Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, Samuel Watson, Bebe Backhouse, Stephanie Green and Jennifer Mackenzie. It also includes fiction and non-fiction by Mags Webster, Chris Raja, Dean Kerrison, Gay Lynch, Indy Horobin, Patrick Allington, Sally Breen, Stephanie Green and Shelley Kenigsberg. Art by Elif Sezen and Aaron Chapman also illustrated the magazine.

The special issue centers around anxiety and uncertainty about the relationship between the natural and urban worlds, as well as violence and tenderness.

Ambassador Volk’s two novels entitled, Lightning and Desire Lines have also been published in Australia. On this occasion, Ambassador and novelist Volk said that no matter where people live, the experience of people is universal and expressed the belief.

The Australia special edition of Pratik, she added, will be a gift for Nepal and the world to understand Australian writers. She also said that humanity is essential in this time of war and climate change.

Literary writer and editor of the special issue of Pratik, Sharma said that Ambassador Volk was actually a real ambassador of language, literature and culture. He said that the magazine shall surely foster great bilateral cultural relations between Nepal and Australia as it attempts to capture visions of the indigenous people, climate change and ancestral memory.”

Sharma also recited three poems by Elif Sezen, Anne-Marie Te Whiu and Bebe Backhouse included in the special issue.

The magazine is available in local books stores as well as on online platforms like Amazon, Flipkart and Daraj for purchase internationally.