Michael James Hutt (born 11 October 1957) is Professor of Nepali and Himalayan Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. He is engaged in the study of modern and contemporary Nepali literature, and as a translator. He has also published on Nepali politics, Nepali art and architecture, censorship in the Nepali print media, and the Bhutanese refugee issue.

Biography and career

Michael Hutt was educated at St. Austell Grammar School, and St. Austell Sixth Form College before completing a BA in South Asian Studies (Hindi) in 1980 and a Ph.D. on the history of the Nepali language and its literature in 1984, both at SOAS. In 1987 he returned to SOAS as a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow, and has been engaged in teaching and research relating to Nepal here ever since. He was Head of the South Asia Department from 1995–9, and has served as both Associate Dean (2002-4) and Dean (2004–10) of the Faculty of Languages and Cultures.^[1] Prof. Hutt is a member of Centre of South Asian Studies and the Centre for Cultural, Literary and Postcolonial Studies at SOAS. In 2011 the Chancellor of the Nepal Academy presented Prof. Hutt with the Nai Derukha International Award ‘for his continuous dedication to promoting the study of Nepali literature in the international arena’.^[2]

Publications

Authored books

Hutt, Michael (2010) The Life of Bhupi Sherchan: Poetry and Politics in Post-Rana Nepal. New Delhi: Oxford University Press.

Hutt, Michael and Chettri, Lil Bahadur (2008) Mountains Painted with Turmeric. New York: Columbia University Press.

Hutt, Michael (2003) Unbecoming Citizens: Culture, Nationhood, and the Flight of Refugees from Bhutan. Oxford University Press.

Hutt, Michael and Subedi, Abhi (1999) Teach Yourself Nepali. A complete course in understanding, speaking and writing Nepali. London: Hodder Headline.

Hutt, Michael (1997) Modern Literary Nepali: an Introductory Reader. Oxford University Press (New Delhi).

Hutt, Michael (1996) Devkota's Muna-Madan: Translation and Analysis. Kathmandu: Sajha Publishers.

Hutt, Michael (1994) Nepal: a Guide to the Art and Architecture of the Kathmandu Valley. Gartmore: Kiscadale Publications.

Hutt, Michael (1991) Himalayan Voices: An Introduction to Modern Nepali Literature. Berkeley: University of California Press. (Voices from Asia)

Hutt, Michael (1988) Nepali: A National Language and its Literature. New Delhi and London: Sterling Publishers and School of Oriental and African Studies.

Edited books

Hutt, Michael, ed. (2004) Himalayan ‘People’s War’: Nepal's Maoist Rebellion. London: C. Hurst and Co.

Hutt, Michael, ed. (1994) Bhutan: Perspectives on Conflict and Dissent. Gartmore: Kiscadale Publications.

Hutt, Michael, ed. (1994) Nepal in the Nineties: Versions of the Past, Visions of the Future. New Delhi : Oxford University Press. (SOAS studies on South Asia)

Book chapters

Hutt, Michael (2009) 'Where is home for an Indian Nepali writer?' In: Subba, T.B. and Sinha, A.C. and Nepal, G.S. and Nepali, D.R., (eds.), Indian Nepalis: Issues and Perspectives. New Delhi : Concept Publishing Company, pp. 28–48.

Hutt, Michael (2004) 'Introduction: Monarchy, Democracy and Maoism in Nepal.' In: Hutt, M., (ed.), Himalayan 'People's War': Nepal's Maoist Rebellion. Bloomington : Indiana University Press: Hurst & Company, pp. 1–20.

Hutt, Michael (2003) 'Reading Sumnima.' In: Lecomte-Tilouine, M. and Dolfus, P., (eds.), Ethnic Revival and Religious Turmoil. Identities and Representation in the Himalayas. Oxford University Press, pp. 23–43. Hutt, Michael (2001) 'Rup Chand Bista.' In: Jones, D, (ed.), Censorship: a World Encyclopedia. Fitzroy Dearborn (UK & USA), pp. 1689–1690.

Hutt, Michael (2001) '‘Bhutan’.' In: Jones, D, (ed.), Censorship: a World Encyclopedia. Fitzroy Dearborn (London and Chicago), pp. 225–226.

Hutt, Michael (2001) 'Nepal.' In: Jones, D, (ed.), Censorship: a World Encyclopedia. Fitzroy Dearborn (UK & USA), pp. 246–247.

Hutt, Michael (1997) 'Being Nepali without Nepal: reflections on a South Asian diaspora.' In: D, eds and Pfaff-Czarnecka, J and Whelpton, J, (eds.), Nationalism and Ethnicity in a Hindu Kingdom. The Politics of Culture in Contemporary Nepal. Harwood Academic Publishers (Amsterdam), pp. 101–144.

Hutt, Michael (1996) 'Looking for Shangri-la, from Hilton to Lamicchane.' In: T, ed, (ed.), The Tourist Image: Myths and Myth-Making in Tourism. John Wiley & Sons (Chichester), pp. 49–60.

Articles

Hutt, Michael (2012) 'Singing the New Nepal.' Nations and Nationalism, 18 (2). pp. 306–325.

Hutt, Michael and Whelpton, John (2011) 'The Catalogue of the Hodgson Collection in the British Library.' European Bulletin of Himalayan research, 39 . pp. 128–143.

Hutt, Michael (2007) 'Bhupi Sherchan: from schoolboy to Sarvahara.' Studies in Nepali History and Society, 12 (1). pp. 1–24.

Hutt, Michael (2007) 'A Nepalese Triangle: Monarchy, Maoists and Political Parties.' Asian Affairs, 38 (1). pp. 12–22.

Hutt, Michael (2006) 'Things That Should Not Be Said: Censorship and Self-Censorship in the Nepali Press Media, 2001–02.' The Journal of Asian Studies, 65 (2). pp. 361–392.

Hutt, Michael (2006) 'Nepal and Bhutan in 2005. Monarchy and Democracy: Can They Co-exist?' Asian Survey, 46 (1). pp. 120–124.

Hutt, Michael (2005) 'Nepal and Bhutan in 2004: Two Kings, Two Futures.' Asian Survey, 45 (1). pp. 83–87.

Hutt, Michael (2005) 'The Bhutanese refugees: between verification, repatriation and royal realpolitik.' Journal of Peace and Democracy in South Asia, vol.1 (1) . pp. 44–55.

Hutt, Michael (2005) 'King Gyanendra’s coup and its implications for Nepal’s future’.' The Brown Journal of World Affairs, vol. 12 (1) . pp. 111–123.

Hutt, Michael (2001) 'Monarchy, Maoism and democracy in Nepal.' Journal of Conflict, Security & Development, vol. 1 (no2) . pp. 93–101.

Hutt, Michael (2000) 'Unadmitted Histories: the lives of Dalchan and Garjaman Gurun.' European Bulletin of Himalayan Research, 19 . pp. 101–115.

Hutt, Michael (1998) 'Going to Mugalan: Nepali literary representations of migration to India and Bhutan.' South Asia Research, 18 (2). pp. 195–214.

Hutt, Michael (1997) 'Bhutan in 1996: Continuing Stress.' Asian Survey, 37 (2). pp. 155–159.

Hutt, Michael (1996) 'Bhutan in 1995: Weathering the Storm.' Asian Survey, 36 (2). pp. 204–208.

Hutt, Michael (1996) 'Ethnic Nationalism, refugees and Bhutan.' Journal of Refugee Studies, 9 No.4 . pp. 397–420.

Hutt, Michael (1994) 'The Poetry of Mohan Koirala.' Journal of South Asian Literature, 29 (1). pp. 155–174.

Hutt, Michael (1993) 'Bhutan: Refugees from Shangri-la.' Index on Censorship, 22 (4). pp. 9–14.

Hutt, Michael (1991) 'Drafting the Nepal Constitution, 1990.' Asian Survey, 31 (11). pp. 1020–1039.

Hutt, Michael (1991) 'Nepal: the Pale Dawn of Democracy.' Index on Censorship, 20 (7). pp. 18–26.

Hutt, Michael (1990) 'The Blowing of the April Wind: Writers and democracy in Nepal.' Index on Censorship, 19 (8). pp. 5–9.

Hutt, Michael (1989) 'A hero or a traitor? The Gurkha soldier in Nepali literature.' South Asia Research, 9 (1). pp. 21–32.

Hutt, Michael (1989) 'Reflections of Political Change in Modern Nepali Literature.' Kailash - Journal of Himalayan Studies, 15 (3-4). pp. 135–156.

Hutt, Michael (1984) 'Neon Lights and Vedic caves: European influences on the Nepali writer.' South Asia Research, 4 (2). pp. 124–138.

Monographs

Hutt, Michael (1988) Nepali: A National Language and its Literature. Other. New Delhi and London: Sterling Publishers and School of Oriental and African Studies.

Translations

Among Hutt's published translation works is the English translation of Buddhisagar's novel Karnali Blues.