Y! Magazine a new Youth magazine in Nepal. It has been nearly twelve years since Yubakar Raj Rajkarnikar initiated the birth of WAVE magazine- Nepal's one of the leading youth magazines. During its initial days, WAVE approached as a perfect reading friend to the youths who no longer had to rely on foreign magazines to fulfill their reading appetite. It covered everything that aroused young interests- fashion, music, education, career and even love problems! And, it didn't take long for WAVE to be a part of these young people's lives. Today, a group of talented people including Yubakar, Tshering Choden, Vikash Pradhan and Subel Bhandari who have been a major part of WAVE magazine are all set to launch a new chic urban youth magazine named 'Y!' with a tagline- "the difference is you!". The magazine will hit the market stands by next month. CyberSansar talked with Yubakar more about Y! Magazine. Enjoy reading. What is Y! Magazine all about? - It is a magazine for the youth, with its base firmly on the local grounds, but with a global outlook. It is forward looking, proactive and progressive. This monthly magazine caters to both the English and Nepali readers. It provides an entertaining and engaging read while not being swamped by glamour, fashion and pop music. Knowing the importance of, and playing a role in initiating thought and action among the youth on current affairs, Y! gives special focus to politically and socially relevant issues. While striving to initiate social change through intelligent and thought provoking articles, Y! showcases its lighter side through regulars on music, sports, lifestyle, campus life, etc. Y! is reader friendly: easy to read, easy to browse through, easy to understand, easy to relate to and easier to digest. 2. Could you please explain us about the contents of the magazine? In the basis of contents, we can divide it in this way- Issues: All our issues are covered in a youthful, investigative manner. We have more statistics to back our story up. There are so many stories that have gone without being told, we bring them to light, put the issues on the centre. The issues we cover are limited only by their relevance to readers. Politics and Activism: This is perhaps the most ‘happening’ times when we talk about youth and politics together. During and after the recent popular movement, we have seen an encouraging increase in the participation and awareness of politics and political issues among the youth of the nation. But with the movement done, peace process replacing the street demonstrations, and political and civil society leaders committing to the close door negotiations, the eminent vacuum is slowly creeping in. This can be a negative development in the process of initiating the youth in the process of political activism. To keep the young generation engaged in the political thinking through articles and discussions related to political activism, we give prominence to that subject. Music: We believe there is the good, the bad and the ugly. We commend and applaud the good, encourage the bad to become better and put the ugly out of the picture. Nepali music has taken a shape of an industry now, still growing, with lots of loopholes. We don't have any music magazine, hence with Y! ,we will try to fill that vacuum. Sports: Nepali sports have not been able to grow in a long time. We believe that Nepal has potential but has not been able to grow environment for these players to make good players. Fashion and Glamour: As and when there is relevance to these topics we will shed light on them, again in more than just a superficial manner. Whether we agree or not fashion will never go out of fashion but there is a way we can make it practically appealing, affordable and creative. That’s where we come in! South Asian Touch: In our attempt to entertain, inform and educate the youth there’s all the more reason to provide a broader approach we hope to bring articles and issues from South Asia. Photos: We focus more on pictures, because pictures can tell stories words sometimes fail to. In all forms of articles, pictures help to complete the stories. Fiction: Prominent authors and upcoming talent all make their way into our Fiction section with no restriction on language and style. Campus Buzz: What is the latest buzz on campus these days? What are the most hip and happening campus accessories? What are the activities that particular campuses excel in? Which campus has the strongest faculty? What’s the biggest worry for campus goers? Which is the most sought after dream for students? Etc. Please continue… Gradually, we have also planned to conduct youth workshops, seminars and movie screenings. We want to make the magazine reader friendly with their constant participation. I am sure the magazine will be a substantial platform for the youths. We wish Y! Magazine all the best! Take the survey at www.yzine.com.np»