Last week, the Australian Embassy celebrated the launch of the book 'Celebrating 50 years of Australian mountaineering feats and friendships in Nepal'. It's ample proof the even the Red Continent has plenty of connoisseurs when it comes to scrambling up the highest mountains in the world. Last year, over 15,000 Australians visited Nepal.

The book charts the stories of nine extraordinary Australians who came to Nepal for the mountains, but returned for the people. Kicking off with an interview with Alfred Gregory, official photographer on the 1953 Everest expedition, the book explores how these mountaineers came to terms with the beauty of Nepal's nature and culture, and how they sought to do what they could for the country they made a second home, often through the Australian Himalayan Foundation. As interviewee Brigitte Muir says, "The more I go to Nepal, the more I love it. It has a way of growing in your heart, doesn't it? For me it's the people. There's an exuberance of life I find very addictive. The mountains, the many cultures, the creativity of artists in all fields, from film-making to painting, music and writing. That's what does it for me."

The book also commemorates the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Australia and Nepal. It was written and edited by Miriam Fisher.

The book of hope

The hugely popular TV series Mero Jindagi Mero Biswas (My life My belief) has come out as a book, published by Antenna Foundation. The book contains the reflections of individuals who rose above personal hindrances and contributed to Nepali society.

Here, you will find Bhagwandas Manandhar, who at 85 continues to dirty his hands cleaning the Bagmati, and Pushpa Basnet, who embraces the children of jail inmates as her own. And then there's Tripta Thapa Magar, who launched a lifelong battle against disability, crawling on all fours to get her polio-ridden body to school, finally going on to become a teacher and a leader of the disabled community in Sunsari.

Be inspired as you follow the tumultous lives of men and women who defied disability, discrimination and social resistance to hold onto their hopes and dreams. Not for sale but available at your nearest libraries.

READ ALSO:
Around the world and up on the roof
Is it ok to cheat in football?, PETER SINGER
Chhi-chhi to chichi, RABI THAPA