{{Short description|Nepali writer and poet (born 1955)}} {{Infobox person | name = Usha Sherchan | image = Usha Sherchan7.JPG | native_name = उषा शेरचन | native_name_lang = ne | birth_name = Usha Bhattachan | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1955|08|22|df=y}} | birth_place = Nalamukh, Pokhara, Kaski district | education = | alma_mater = Prithivi Narayan Campus | occupation = Poet, lyricist, writer | notable_works = ''Aadhi'' (2019) | spouse = {{Marriage|D.B. Sherchan|1982}} | children = 2 | mother = Yam Kumari Bhattachan | father = Jhapat Bahadur Bhattachan }}
'''Usha Sherchan''' ({{Nee|Bhattachan}}; born 22 August 1955) is a Nepalese poet, lyricist and writer.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Inspired by reality|url=https://kathmandupost.com/miscellaneous/2018/12/08/inspired-by-reality|access-date=2022-02-24|website=kathmandupost.com|language=English}}</ref> She has published three collections of poetry, a collection of short stories and a novel. She has also written lyrics for five music albums. She writes about various social and feminism issues in her poems and stories. She is one of the few writers in Nepal who writes stories about queer people.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Swechcha|first=Sangita|date=2019-11-03|title=Three poets, three poems from Nepal: Tulasi Diwasa, Usha Sherchan and Govinda Giri Prerna|url=https://glli-us.org/2019/11/03/three-poets-three-poems-from-nepal-tulasi-diwasa-usha-sherchan-and-govinda-giri-prerna/|access-date=2022-02-22|website=Global Literature in Libraries Initiative|language=en}}</ref>
== Early life and education == Sherchan was born on 22 August 1955 (6 Bhadra 2012 BS) in Nalamukh in Pokhara city in a Thakali family to father Jhapat Bahadur Bhattachan and mother Yam Kumari Bhattachan. After completing her school level education (SLC), her parents urged her to get married but she decided to move to Kathmandu for further education. Her father worked for the royal family as in‐charge of Hima Griha palace in Pokhara and the royal family assisted her for her further education. She attended Ratna Rajya Laxmi Campus in Kathmandu.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Gurung|first=Muna|title=Usha Sherchan: Humming a tune of her own|url=https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/usha-sherchan-humming-a-tune-of-her-own/|access-date=2022-02-22|language=en-US}}</ref> She then attended Prithvi Narayan Campus in Pokhara for her bachelor's studies.
== Literary career == In Prithivi Narayan Campus, she met various writers such as Saru Bhakta, Tirtha Shrestha, Prakat Prageni Shiva, Binod Gauchan etc. She used to write poems in her notebook since studying in RR Campus but didn't published it. Her friend Binod Gauchan saw ''Jindagi'', one of her poems and sent it to ''Gorkhapatra'', the national daily and her poem was published in ''Gorkhapatra'' in 1978. She, along with fellow writers started a writer's club named Pokhreli Yuwa Sanskriti Pariwar in Pokhara, directed by Durga Baral.<ref name="आँधीअघिको उषा">{{Cite web|title=आँधीअघिको उषा|url=https://annapurnapost.com/news/aandhiiaghiko-ussaa-121792|access-date=2022-02-22|website=आँधीअघिको उषा|language=ne}}</ref>
She published her first poetry collection titled ''Najanmeka Asthaharu'' in 1991.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The sound of women's voices-- Nepali Times|url=http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=6476#.YhSwW-hBztU|access-date=2022-02-22|website=archive.nepalitimes.com}}</ref> Her second book, ''Aksharharuka Shiwirbata'' is a collection of couplets (Muktak) and was published in 1999. ''Sarwakaleen Pinda Ra Jagritika Shankhaghosh'', her third poetry collection was published in 2006.
In 2009, she published a short story about a closeted gay man being pressured to get married.<ref>{{Cite web|last=NESSMAN|first=RAVI|title=Nepal beckons gay tourism market|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/ct-travel-gay-nepal-tourism-story-story.html|access-date=2022-02-22|website=chicagotribune.com}}</ref> In 2013, she published her first short story collection ''Tesro Rang''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=साहित्यकार उषा शेरचनको पुस्तक तेश्रो रंग अमेरिकामा विमोचित विजय थापा|url=https://archive.nepaljapan.com/%e0%a4%b8%e0%a4%be%e0%a4%b9%e0%a4%bf%e0%a4%a4%e0%a5%8d%e0%a4%af%e0%a4%95%e0%a4%be%e0%a4%b0-%e0%a4%89%e0%a4%b7%e0%a4%be-%e0%a4%b6%e0%a5%87%e0%a4%b0%e0%a4%9a%e0%a4%a8%e0%a4%95%e0%a5%8b-%e0%a4%aa/|access-date=2022-02-24|website=Nepal Japan|language=ne}}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The stories featured multiple characters form LGBTQI+ community.<ref>{{Cite web|title=जीवनको उत्तरार्धमा पहिलो उपन्यास लेख्ने दुस्साहस गरेकी छु: उषा शेरचन|url=https://kharibot.com/news-details/28571/2019-02-09|access-date=2022-02-22|website=Kharibot|language=ne}}</ref>
She published her first novel ''Aadhi'' in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|last=काठमाडौँ|first=रञ्जना निरौला|title=हिंसाका ज्वारभाटामा अस्मिताको यात्रा|url=https://nagariknews.nagariknetwork.com/arts/313481-1598074100.html|access-date=2022-02-22|website=nagariknews.nagariknetwork.com|language=ne}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=आधि लिएर आइन् उषा शेरचन|url=https://thahakhabar.com/news/76935/|access-date=2022-02-24|website=ThahaKhabar|language=en}}</ref> The novel is about a woman who is sexually assaulted.<ref>{{Cite web|title=उषा शेरचनको 'आधि'|url=https://annapurnapost.com/news/ussaa-shercnko-aadhi-134708|access-date=2022-02-22|website=उषा शेरचनको ‘आधि’|language=ne}}</ref>
== Awards == She has received around 13 awards such as ''Parijat Rastriya Pratibha Puraskar'' and the ''Ratnashree Suwarna Padak'' for her contribution to literature and music.<ref name=":0" />
== Notable works == '''Books''' {| class="wikitable" |+ !Title !Genre !Year of Publication |- |''Najanmeka Asthaharu'' |Poetry collection |1991 |- |''Aksharharuka Shiwirbata'' |Poetry collection |1999 |- |''Sarwakaleen Pinda Ra Jagritika Shankhaghosh'' |Poetry collection |2006 |- |''Tesro Rang'' |Short story collection |2013 |- |''Aadhi'' |Novel |2019 |} '''Music albums''' {| class="wikitable" |+ !Title !Release year !Role |- |''Abhipsa'' |2001 |Lyricist |- |''Sanchayan'' |2002 |Lyricist |- |''Mero Mato Mero Geet'' |2003 |Lyricist |- |''Sambedan'' |2010 |Lyricist |- |''Aakash Chhune Rahar'' |2010 |Lyricist |}
== Personal life == She married D.B. Sherchan in 1982. They have a son and a daughter.<ref name="आँधीअघिको उषा"/>
== See also ==
* Bina Theeng Tamang * Maya Thakuri * Bimala Tumkhewa
== References == {{Reflist}}{{Nepali literature}}{{Nepalese writers}}{{Nepalese Women Writers}}
{{Authority control|state=collapsed}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sherchan, Usha}} Category:1955 births Category:Living people Category:People from Pokhara Category:21st-century Nepalese poets Category:Nepalese women novelists Category:Nepalese novelists Category:Nepalese lyricists Category:21st-century Nepalese women writers Category:21st-century Nepalese women singers Category:Nepali-language poets Category:Nepali-language Nepalese writers Category:Ratna Rajya Laxmi Campus alumni Category:Prithvi Narayan Campus alumni Category:Thakali people Category:Nepalese women short story writers Category:Nepalese women poets Category:21st-century women poets