In its onward march towards realising its cherished goals and objectives of cultural connectivity and closer people-to-people interactions among the writers of the SAARC region, the Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature, the SAARC literary wing of the Academy of Fine Arts and Literature, organized the Fifth SAARC Writers Conference from 26-29 September, 2002 in Kathmandu, Nepal. The 4-day literary meet, which was attended by a large number of poets, writers, literary critics and intellectuals from all the seven countries comprising the SAARC region, was centred round the theme ‘Striving for Cultural Connectivity and Peace’. And working within the parameters of its thematic underpinning, it resolved to reinforce and strengthen its initiative for the realization of peace, mutual cooperation and sustainable development, highlighting young poets and writers and recognizing the valuable contribution of translators for literary connectivity.
The deliberations of the Conference were structured along the following lines:
Inaugural Session;
Interaction with Writers and Poets writing in the many languages of the region, with focus on Newari and Maithili;