Kesar Lall

Kesar Lall received no formal schooling. He learned English at home from his father, the educator Jagat Lal Master. He taught himself to write by studying whatever textbooks he could find.

He began his writing career in 1945, with English-language articles for Indian magazines. He went on to publish more than 50 books of folk tales, poetry, and translations, across Nepali, Nepal Bhasa, and English. His most influential work is his 1961 collection, Lore and Legend of Nepal.

He travelled widely across the country to document local traditions and oral histories, stories and history passed down by speaking rather than writing. He became internationally recognised as Nepal’s leading folklorist. Scholars and general readers alike, in Nepal and abroad, have read his work.