We are pleased to present Life in My Dictionary, the first collection of poems by poet Nawa Raj Subba, in a new digital edition. Written between 1978/79 and 2005/06, these poems belong to different stages of the poet’s life and were composed in different places and circumstances. Together, they form a creative record of nearly three decades of personal experience.

The collection is focused on an unending search for the meaning of life. The poems are about personal memory, love, separation, hope, disappointment, inequality in the world, war, rural life, migration and human compassion. The poet's both living and travelling locations influenced his poems. His attachment to his native village, Hangpang, also appears repeatedly throughout the collection.

In his introductory essay to the original volume, senior poet Bairagi Kainla draws attention to the poet’s reflections on life and the world, his engagement with social reality, and his recurring concerns with love and humanity. He also recognises in these poems an enduring faith in life and a fundamentally hopeful outlook.

For this ebook edition, the original character, language, and historical setting of the collection have been respected as far as possible. The poems have not been rewritten to suit the present day. The purpose of making the book available through international open access is to bring it within easier reach of readers, students, and researchers.

The times have changed, but many of the questions of these poems live on. We hope that 'Life in My Dictionary' will spark the reader's interest in revisiting their own life, society and memories.