ABSTRACT
This paper aims at offering art overview of diary-keeping practices in the Tibetan literary and historical milieus by describing the origin and evolution of the genre conventionally known as nyinto {nyin tho) or nyindep (nyin deb). The factual nature and didactic function of traditional forms of diaries will be compared to the use of the diary format as a narrative tool in modern Tibetan literature, especially in short stories and novels. The second part of the paper presents as a case-study the nyindep of a Khampa trader. The peculiarities of the diary allow for reflection on the hybrid nature of genre, suspended as it is between fact and fiction. The final section of the paper engages with some of the developments undergone by diary writing practices among Tibetan language speakers, presenting extracts from a discussion on the features of the genre as hosted in one of the many popular Tibetan social network platforms.
