Kathmandu, Aug. 24 -- Til Bikram Nembang, also known as Bairagi Kaila, is one of the most revered poets in contemporary Nepali literature. He was recently felicitated with the Jagdamba Shree Award 2076 for his contribution in Nepali literature. In 1963, along with his stalwart literary contemporaries, Bairagi Kaila started a literary movement called 'Tesro Aayam', with Indra Bahadur Rai and Ishwar Ballav. He also served as a chancellor for the Nepal Academy in 2009 until 2013. In this interview with the Post's Alisha Sijapati, 80-year-old Bairagi Kaila shares some of the best books he's read and recalls the beginning of his seven-decade long poetic journey. Excerpts:

How did you first come to love books?

In the 50s I was sent to Darjeel...