Ramesh Thapa, known by his pen name “Suseli,” is a Nepali Canadian writer. Born in Chhitapokhari,  Khotang, Nepal, to Madan Bahadur Thapa and Bishnu Maya Thapa, he completed his early education in his village, attending Saraswati Secondary School, Bhitlung Secondary School, and Mahendrodaya Secondary School. He later moved to Dharan in eastern Nepal for his undergraduate studies at Mahendra Bahumukhi Campus, a constituent campus of Tribhuvan University, where he majored in English and economics. Thapa went on to earn multiple graduate degrees from Tribhuvan University, including an MA in English, an MPhil in English, and an MA in political science. From 2006 to 2011, he worked as a lecturer in the Central Department of English at Tribhuvan University in Kathmandu, where he taught graduate courses. He also taught undergraduate courses in critical and creative thinking and poetry as a sessional lecturer at Koteshwor Multiple Campus, another constituent campus of Tribhuvan University.

Thapa migrated to Toronto in 2011 with his wife, Deepa Thapa. After moving to Canada, he pursued multiple professional and academic paths. He completed an MA in cultural analysis and social theory at Wilfrid Laurier University in 2021 and, as of spring 2026, is pursuing a PhD in the Department of Social Work at Trent University. Alongside his academic work, he has also worked in nursing and has been employed as a registered practical nurse in Toronto since 2017. His academic writing explores topics such as gender violence in literature, immigration, and Nepal’s political transition, reflecting his sustained interest in questions of culture, society, and social change.

Thapa’s involvement in social and cultural organizations has been broad. Since 2014, he has served as president of the Overseas Nepalese Forum, Canada, where he has organized workshops to strengthen Canada–Nepal relations and initiated a scholarship project for rural Nepali children. From 2014 to 2016, as president of the Nepalese Literary Association, Canada, he organized a North American Nepali Literature Festival and established a Nepali library in Toronto. In 2015, following the Nepal earthquake, he coordinated rescue and relief support from Canada in collaboration with the Nepal Red Cross Society. His leadership has also included positions with Madan Bhandari Foundation: Art and Literature in Kathmandu, the Tribhuvan University Teachers’ Association, and the Nepal Youth Red Cross Circle at Tribhuvan University. He also holds life memberships in the Nepal Red Cross Society and the Non-Resident Nepali Association, Canada, reflecting his long-term commitment to community service and cultural preservation.

Thapa’s literary contributions span both creative and academic realms. Several of his lyrics have been recorded as songs. In 2015, Rajesh Payal Rai sang “Prem ko nasama” (“Drunk in Love”) set to music by Basanta Sapkota. Two years later, Raja Rajendra, Amrit Khati, and Sushma Limbu performed “Aphno gaun aphai banaun” (“Develop Our Village Ourselves”) with music by Mahesh Khadka. In 2018, Buddhisagar Basyal lent his voice to “Pareli” (“Eyebrows”) also set to music by Mahesh Khadka.

In 2015, Thapa published Dhunka Rangharu (Colors of Melodies), a collection of Nepali lyrics and ghazals. His ghazal “Prabas”  (“Migration”) captures the experience of Nepali immigrants and reflects themes of displacement and adaptation common in diaspora life. Its opening couplet, “There is a drought of fragrance here / Don’t talk about migration,” evokes a deep sense of loss. The image of the cactus in “I have survived as a cactus / Don’t remind me of the rhododendron garden” contrasts the harshness of immigrant life with memories of Nepal, represented by the rhododendron, the national flower. The ghazal suggests both resilience and emotional rupture, especially in lines such as “What to do just by seeing the light / There is an ocean of sadness,” where opportunity does not erase sorrow. The closing lines, “It is not a dream world / There are so many fears in life,”  further challenge idealized notions of life abroad.

Another ghazal, “Naammai Badnaam” (“Infamy in Fame”), explores reputation, hypocrisy, and social inequality. Its opening line, “Whosoever has a big fame / His name itself is infamous,”  introduces a paradox that questions the moral value of public recognition. The poem continues by critiquing self-righteousness and human hypocrisy, suggesting that people easily identify faults in others while ignoring their own. It also points to the marginalization of the poor, whose names may be invoked by others even as their own voices remain unheard.

“Pareliko Baat” (“About Eyebrows”) is a sensual ghazal that draws on traditional imagery of desire, beauty, and non-verbal communication. Through metaphors of thirst, the ocean, sweetness, and flowers, Thapa explores attraction, longing, and the tension between admiration and desire. The ghazal remains rooted in familiar conventions of romantic lyricism while introducing a more layered emotional intensity.

Thapa’s songs also address nationalism, philosophical reflection, and resilience. “Shirko Himal” (“The Himalaya above Head”) is a nationalist song that uses natural imagery to evoke pride in Nepal’s landscape, culture, and religious heritage. By personifying the nation through mountains, rivers, birds, gods, and the Buddha, the song presents Nepali identity as both geographic and civilizational. “Samaya” (“Time”) reflects on the transience of life and the transforming force of time, using images of dust, flowers, dew, and flowing water to stress impermanence and change. “Hidnu Parne Bato” (“The Path One Should Walk”) emphasizes endurance in the face of life’s difficulties, urging persistence, self-struggle, and inner repair even in darkness and uncertainty.

Critic Binod Manjan praises Thapa’s songs for their simplicity, meaningful content, and ability to express deep emotion and lived experience, likening them to a “real blooming cactus” that resonates with listeners. On Thapa’s ghazals, Manjan notes that although they do not always strictly follow traditional formal rules, they are nevertheless capable of moving readers and capturing varied dimensions of life, feeling, and reflection.

Ramesh Thapa’s significance in Canada rests on his combined roles as writer, scholar, and community organizer within the Nepali diaspora. Through literary production, academic writing, musical composition, and leadership in cultural organizations, he has contributed to the preservation and growth of Nepali language, literature, and public culture in Toronto and beyond. His work gives expression to migration, displacement, resilience, and belonging, while his community initiatives have helped build institutional and cultural spaces for Nepali Canadians within Canada’s multicultural society.

References

“Aphno gaun aphai banaun.” Performed by Raja Rajendra, Amrit Khati, and Sushma Limbu, music by Mahesh Khadka, 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6LLNDlmMx4.

Lamsal, Nabaraj. “Sukumar Haraphharusanga Keval Sakshi Basdai.” Dhunka Rangharu, by Ramesh Thapa, Shabdapath Vishwa Sahitya Samaj, 2015.

Manjan, Binod. “Dhunka Rangharuma Sparshako Indreni.” Dhunka Rangharu, by Ramesh Thapa, Shabdapath Vishwa Sahitya Samaj, 2015.

“Pareli.” Performed by Buddhisagar Basyal, music by Mahesh Khadka, 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=988yiSt_5JA.

“Prem ko nasama.” Performed by Rajesh Payal Rai, music by Basanta Sapkota, 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeAoO0zHipQ.

Thapa, Ramesh. “Addressing the Transition in Nepal: Steps Towards the Multicultural Federalism.” Dipshikha Journal, Koteshwor Multiple Campus, 2009, pp. 50–55.

Thapa, Ramesh. “Dismantling of the Self in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.” Kausiki Research Journal, Krisnamanorath Pratisthan, 2008, pp. 18–23.

Thapa, Ramesh. Dhunka Rangharu. Shabdapath Vishwa Sahitya Samaj, 2015.

Thapa, Ramesh, editor. Deepshikha Journal. Koteshwor Multiple Campus, 2010.

Thapa, Ramesh, editor. Prasphutan: A Collection of Contemporary Nepalese Literature. Mahendra Multiple Campus, 2001.