Chandra Prakash Baniya

In September 2020, he published a collection of essays titled Bhaujyaha. The book was published by Shikha Books. The collection consists of 40 essays written over time about various religious, cultural, historical and some local issues as well as social practices. The book won the Ratna Shrestha Puraskar in 2021. He published a memoir titled Makurako Punarjanma in 2021.

He published a book named Mrityu Sanskar Manthan: Itihas, Manyata ra Bastabikta on 29 September 2018, a non-fiction book about the death traditions in Khas society. He then wrote a historical fiction novel set in Parbat kingdom during 1770 BS (c. 1713) called Maharani in 2019 for which he received the Madan Puraskar, the highest literary award in Nepali literature.

He joined the erstwhile Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist–Leninist) (1978) in 2040 BS (c. 1983/1984). He contested for the 1991 Nepalese general election (2047 BS) and won from Myagdi (Constituency 2). He was an active political leader. He was diagonsed with brain tumor in 2050 BS and on the suggestion of Dr. Upendra Devkota, he decided to take a break from his political life. He did not contested in the 1994 mid-term election. The party split in 1997. He then decided not to renew his party membership and quit the political life.

Chandra Prakash Baniya (Nepali: चन्द्रप्रकाश बानियाँ; born 7 April 1951) is a Nepali writer, columnist, educator and politician. He was elected as a representative from Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist–Leninist) (1978) in 1991 general election for Myagdi (constituency 2). He won the Madan Puraskar for his novel Maharani in 2019.

He was born on 7 April 1951 (25 Chaitra 2007 BS) in Beni, Myagdi district of Gandaki province in western Nepal as the youngest son to father Hasta Dal Baniya and mother Nanda Kumari Baniya. He completed his SLC-level education from Bidhya Devi Madhyamik Bidhyalaya (Bidhya Devi Secondary School) in Baglung district. He received his bachelor's degree from Saraswati Multiple Campus in Thamel.