Himal South Asian is organising the first-ever meeting of editorial cartoonists from across the region, in a two-day conference in Kathmandu on 14-15 November 2008.

Thirty six cartoonists from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will come together to discuss political cartooning and its relevance to the media as well as to society at large, the organizers said in a press release.

Cartoonists will get the rare opportunity to meet their counterparts, share their experiences and discuss the various challenges they face in their profession.

The cartoons of the winner and runner-up of Himal Southasian’s Cartoon Competition ‘Dramatic Divide: The distance between the powerful and the powerless’ will also be on show.

In her public lecture, Manjula Padmanabhan, cartoonist, playwright and writer will examine the ways in which laughter can break down barriers.

Corresponding with the conference, two week-long cartoon exhibitions will be displayed in Yala Maya Kendra, Patan Dhoka, Lalitpur, with free access to members of the public.

The inauguration of Retrospective of drawings by eminent cartoonist Abu Abraham will be accompanied by a speech by Mark Bryant, director of the London Press Club, former secretary of the British Cartoonists’ Association titled ‘Abu in London’. Also, a never-before offering for Kathmandu-ites will be a choice exposition of cartoons by five successful Nepali cartoonists – Durga Baral (‘Vatsayan’), Abin Shrestha, Basu Kshitij, Rabin Sayami and Rajesh K C. nepalnews.com Nov 11 08