Born in Kanpur, Kavrepalanchok District, to a middle-class Brahmin family
Guru Prasad Mainali
Deceasedगुरुप्रसाद मैनाली
Considered one of the best short story writers in Nepali literature, best known for the anthology Naso
About
Guru Prasad Mainali worked as a judge. He moved between district courts across Nepal. This work gave him close, lasting contact with rural communities and ordinary people. This contact shaped his fiction.
His entire body of short story work totals just eleven stories. He published most of them in the literary magazine Sharada, between 1935 and 1938. Many people see these stories as among the finest examples of the form in Nepali literature. They are praised for showing, without equal, how traditional values and beliefs limited the lives of common people in the countryside.
Quick facts
- Born
- 1900-09-07
- Birthplace
- Kanpur, Kavrepalanchok District, Nepal
- Profession
- Writer, Civil servant, Judge
- Nationality
- Nepal
- Status
- Deceased
- Died
- 1971-06-08
Previous roles
Judge
Government of Nepal
Career & life timeline
- 1900-09-07
- 1935
Began publishing short stories in the literary magazine Sharada, starting with his first story, Naso
- 1938
Completed the bulk of his short story writing, having produced eleven stories in total
- 1971-06-08
Died in Kathmandu at age 70
Achievements
Considered one of the best short story writers in Nepali literature
Regarded as a foundational figure in the development of the modern Nepali short story
Last updated: 2026-09-06