Hi there Friend

Alfa here. Welcome to The Wordcastle, a blog about reading, writing, and the arts.

I began blogging almost a decade ago when the term blog was on the rise. The people around me used to say that it takes a lot of commitment to start a blog. Really? I thought. How hard can it be to write one post a week? After all, I enjoyed writing all the time. Well, well. Turns out it is quite a herculean task to write consistently.

About The Wordcastle

When The Wordcastle began, I was still unclear as to what I wanted to write in it. Since 2017, this blog has been about experimenting. As the years’ progress, I can see the patterns emerge. The Wordcastle is about reading, writing, and the arts; a place where you can find book quotes and recommendations, tips and perspectives on writing, and takes on the arts. You will also find poems, short stories, and digital art. Words and Lines is a monthly podcast covering art, music, and literature.

Coming Soon: A bimonthly Email Newsletter with special content on reading and writing!

Rook in the Logo

You might have noticed a Rook, a chess piece in the logo for The Wordcastle. My sister, Trisha, who also happens to be an amazing architect, drew it. ‘I want a Hatti,’ I told her, and she immediately opened photoshop to draw. (Hatti = Elephant, a common term for the piece in Nepali). As I finally settled on the name ‘The Wordcastle,’ the second half ‘Castle’ reminded me of a scene from the video game Age of Empires II. In the opening scenes of the game, a castle tower morphs into a rook on the chessboard. Since then, I’ve felt that the rook can be a representation of a castle. 

About Alfa

I am someone who likes to make things. I am fond of cats, and I’m a southpaw (left-handed). Currently, watching We Bare Bears and studying literature. [Shelley is giving me a headache!]

I am a reader, writer, and digital artist. I am from Nepal, and I reside in Kathmandu. Stories and books had caught my imagination since when I was a child. As I was glued to the cartoon shows on TV, in my mind, I’d write a spin-off of my own. After studying business administration for my undergraduate, I began working in the field of content, finding a close connection between the field and my love for words and art. For more than 5 years, I have been curating, editing, and creating content. I’ve worked at The Storytellers/The StoryYellers as a Content Creator and Editor. I was lucky to be involved in curating over 75 stories, the memories of which I still carry with me. I’ve been a writer at WAVE Magazine, a popular youth magazine of Nepal. I ran a book recommendation column in the magazine and covered various social and arts content.

In 2018 I joined Toastmasters. I’m honored to be the District 41 International Speech Contest Champion 2020 covering Nepal, East & North India, Bangladesh, and Bhutan. District 41 is currently the largest district of Toastmasters International. I was the Division A Editor for 2019/20 for the Nepal Region of District 41. 

I continue to expand my love for content as I collaborate with various brands as a Content Strategist and Writer. Combining words, concepts, and design to help solve problems has become a grander goal for me. Some of the brands I’ve worked with include Yasuda, Panasonic, Triveni Trade, Genese Solution, Resume Didi, Rooster Logic, Her Ventures among others. 

The start of 2020 was an important milestone for me as I became an educator as a public speaking trainer for kids at Chatterbox Nepal. Being an educator has been one of the most amazing things. At times, I also do voice overs for videos. 

Digital art has been another area that has interested me in recent times, and I have been exploring arts and running a cat comic. Digital tools helped me rewind my mind about my ability to draw. You might also find me singing and recording cover songs.