Palpasa Café by Narayan Wagle – Madan Puraskar Winning Nepali Novel

Palpasa Café (पल्पसा क्याफे) by Narayan Wagle is one of Nepal’s most celebrated modern novels and the winner of the prestigious Madan Puraskar. Set during the period of Nepal’s Maoist insurgency, the story follows Drishya, a painter, whose life changes when he meets Palpasa, a woman of deep curiosity and compassion.

Through their relationship, the novel explores love, loss, and the disillusionment of war, blending fiction with social commentary and artistic reflection. Wagle, a seasoned journalist, uses vivid imagery and emotional realism to portray the beauty and tragedy of Nepal’s rural landscape and people.

Palpasa Café is more than a love story — it’s a meditation on art, freedom, and the search for meaning in a world torn by violence. Its poetic language and profound humanism have made it a timeless work in Nepali literature.

Available now at Amaghar.com, this book remains a must-read for readers seeking modern Nepali fiction that connects the personal with the political.