Kathmandu, 21 November: The Nepal Academy has announced the date of this year’s national poetry competition for December 14 in Kathmandu. Earlier, the competition taking place on the establishment day of Academy (Asar 9) was postponed citing Covid-19 outbreak.

Chief of Poetry Department at Academy Prof Hemnath Poudel said that the new date for the competition was released and the poetry festival would be conducted by maintaining social distancing. The Academy is conducting the poetry festival since 1965. Likewise, the amount of prize for the winners has been increased from this year. Member Secretary at Academy Prof Jagat Prasad Upadhyay said that the first prize winner will get Rs 50,000 in cash and Rs 40,000 to the runner up. Likewise, three persons would be selected in the third position and would be given a purse of Rs 30,000 each.