Reviews
BOOK REVIEW: NONFICTION / Sports journalism and Bangladesh
Textbooks in Bangladesh tend to be written by foreign authors. Those that are written by Bangladeshi authors, emphasise on examples in a non-Bangladesh context.
'Independence': A painfully poignant Partition story
Divakaruni has a message to send with this novel. To her, independence entails not just liberation or freedom from subjugation, it also means doing the right thing for oneself and for the people around us.
Professing criticism: On Naeem Mohaiemen's new book of essays
Although the book is written in English, he has plenty of doubt to dispense about the language, its usefulness, acceptance, and communicability when it comes to writing and creating art in Bangladesh.
Flesh in ruins
It is the disease that maintains the upper hand in the plot. A jarring voice of its own, the toxins spilling across the pages in bold, chaotic words.
BOOK REVIEW: FICTION / Family of feelings: Iffat Nawaz's 'Shurjo's Clan'
Part memoir, part magical realism, this is a story about identity and the idea of home.
BOOK REVIEW: FICTION / The Bhawal story through women’s voices in Aruna Chakravarti’s ‘The Mendicant Prince’
The story of the ailing Bhawal prince, Ramendranarayan Roy, the Mejo Kumar, who while taken to Darjeeling to recuperate, died and was cremated there, under mysterious circumstances, and who then returned years later as a wandering ascetic with partial amnesia!
BOOK REVIEW: NONFICTION / Andy Warhol & Truman Capote talk out their anxieties
Andy Warhol suggested they tape their conversations on his Sony Walkman, to which Truman Capote agrees.
BOOK REVIEW: NONFICTION / Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: A relative’s perspective on an enigmatic hero
Nehru was revolted by Nazism and the persecution of Europe’s Jews. Bose…felt that the Indian struggle for freedom should override all other considerations.
Book activities to indulge in during lockdown
Reading has proven to be a popular habit for all ages during this pandemic. From hardcopies to ebooks to audiobooks, readers now have the opportunity, and time, to discover other genres and enjoy new titles. But if you’re looking for some entertainment that goes beyond reading, these book-related activities might help you stay occupied at home as we brace ourselves for a week of lockdown.
Virtual book launch of ‘Mrittu Amader Protibeshi’
Written by Jubair Shawan and published by Kharimati Prokashani, the poetry collection Mrittu Amader Protibeshi (Death is Our Neighbour) was recently launched through a virtual programme. In addition to the author, the event was attended by artist Razib Datta, who designed the book’s cover art. Among other guests were poet and publisher Monirul Monir, documentary filmmaker and translator Ashfaqul Ashekin, Bengal Stories CEO Alamin Rumi, Surjeet Sarker, and Mahmuda Shwarna. The official unveiling of the book followed a discussion session with online viewers.
Boi Mela stalls damaged by storm
Around 30 stalls at the Ekushey Boi Mela were damaged by the strong winds and heavy rainfall last night.
Boi Mela sees no activity under lockdown
As per government mandated instructions, the Ekushey Boi Mela opened at 12 pm today while the rest of the city observed a lockdown. No visitors were seen at the entrance for the first 45 minutes of opening.
Behind the book covers
Having graduated from the University of Dhaka’s Faculty of Fine Arts, Sabyasachi Hazra’s work first gained momentum in 2005 and today, is a mainstay during the Ekushey Boi Mela.
A son’s tribute to Rafiq Azad’s poetry
Selected Poems on Love, Environment & Other Difficulties (Chitra Prokashani, 2020) is a collection of poems by the late Rafiq Azad, one of the most prolific poets of Bangladeshi literature, translated from Bangla by his son Ovinna Azad.
Where’s the cake?
It’s party time in the animal kingdom. A turtle just happens to be in charge of making a birthday cake. He’s small and he’s slow but he has a plan. He started early because he knew speed wasn’t his strength.
Gothic fiction writ anew in Daisy Johnson’s ‘Sisters’
One of 2020’s more positive highlights was Daisy Johnson’s stunning sophomore effort, Sisters (Riverhead Books). The novel, a Gothic-domestic drama, starts with siblings September and July in the backseat of a car, on their way to the “Settle House”.
European languages dominate the 2021 International Booker Prize longlist
The longlist for the prestigious 2021 International Booker Prize was announced on March 30, 2021. Nominees stem largely from Europe, with a few entries from South America, Africa, and Asia rounding out the list.
The view from the West
After half a century from where we began, Daily Star Books will spend all of this year—the 50th year of Bangladesh—revisiting and analyzing some of the books that played crucial roles in documenting the Liberation War of 1971 and the birth of this nation. In this sixth installment, we revisit both Khadim Hussain Raja’s A Stranger in My Own Country (Oxford University Press, 2012), in which a retired general gives often problematic views from West Pakistan’s perspective, and Pakistani journalist Anthony Mascarenhas’ The Rape of Bangladesh (Vikas Publications, 1971), a pivotal book in changing world opinion on the then-underreported genocide of East Pakistan.