Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, May 15: Tibetan writer and researcher Kunsang Dolma launched her latest book, Exile Women and Literature, at the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives (LTWA) in Dharamshala on Wednesday. Funded by the Washington-based advocacy group International Campaign for Tibet (ICT), the book marks an important contribution to the underrepresented field of Tibetan women’s literary voices in exile.
Speaking to Phayul, Kunsang Dolma said the book aims to document and analyze the literary contributions of Tibetan women in exile through data collection and comparative study. “Because data and sources on these writers are scarce, I began writing this book in 2022 with the aim of preserving their work and shedding light on the broader situation of Tibetan women’s literature,” she said.
Her research documents approximately 30 Tibetan women who fled Tibet and have contributed to literature in both English and Tibetan while in exile. She also found that around 20 women had written literary works but were unable to publish them. Additionally, her collection includes about 20 journals, newspapers, periodicals, and various articles authored by Tibetan women, reflecting a rich yet often overlooked literary tradition in exile. Notably, she observed that more Tibetan women writers tend to write in English than in Tibetan.
Speaking about the inspiration behind her book, Kunsang Dolma shared that the idea took root when she was invited to speak at the Dalai Lama Institute for Higher Education (DLIHE) on the topic, “The Role of Tibetan Women in Contemporary Society.” Drawing from her nine years of experience in writing and research since coming into exile, she began to reflect on the contributions of Tibetan women writers in exile.
“It suddenly struck me, how many Tibetan women in exile have contributed to literature? When I looked around, I realized no compiled book documented their literary works,” she said. That realization motivated her to take on the writing. “There are many women who have made significant literary contributions in exile, and I felt that if I didn’t write this book, more years would pass with women’s voices in literature continuing to be overlooked,” she added.
Speaking on the content of the book, Kunsang Dolma said it highlights the literary contributions of five Tibetan women writers: Tsering Wangmo Dhompa, Tsering Yangzom Lama, Tenzin Dickey, Monsal Pekar, and Nyima Tso. Discussing each writer in detail, she said, “Tsering Wangmo Dhompa, who was born in India, writes powerfully about the emotions of statelessness, especially following the loss of her beloved mother at the age of twenty-three. Her works explore what it means to be without a country and how to channel that identity into literary expression.”
She continued, “The second example is Tsering Yangzom Lama. When it comes to character development in modern fiction, I believe she stands out as a representative figure among women born and raised in exile. Her unique approach to constructing and portraying characters offers a fresh perspective that differs from fiction written inside Tibet.”
“The third writer, Tenzin Dickey, has set a strong example by uniting voices across borders. Although we have many writers in exile, inside Tibet, and abroad, she has brought them together in a single anthology. Her work demonstrates that even as a stateless people, we can build solidarity and collaboration through literature,” she added.
