Books

Books

BOOK REVIEW: NONFICTION / The making of Bangladesh in the global sixties

“Mr Speaker Sir, what did Bangalee intend to achieve? What rights did Bangalee want to possess? We do not need to discuss and decide on them now [after independence]. [We] tried to press our demands after the so called 1947 independence. Each of our days and years with Pakistan was an episode of bloodied history; a record of struggle for our rights,” said Tajuddin Ahmad on October 30, 1972 in the Constituent Assembly. He commented on the proposed draft constitution for Bangladesh, which was adopted on November 4, 1972.

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BOOK REVIEW: FICTION / An outlandish jumble of cults, cannibalism, and colonial violence

Melissa Lozada-Oliva takes us on a bumpy apocalyptic horror ride in her debut novel Candelaria. Spanning across three generations of women, the novel ushers together an unsettled past and an even more bizarre present.

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ESSAY / 'A terrible beauty is born' in Gaza and West Bank

Pre-occupation Palestine had, to use Anglo-American poet WH Auden's words, "marble well-governed cities" full of "vines and olive trees." But Israel and its allies have turned it into "an artificial wilderness"

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BOOK REVIEW: FICTION / ‘Apni Ki Alien Dekhte Chan?’: A debut with immense possibility

Review of ‘Apni Ki Alien Dekhte Chan?’ (Afsar Brothers, 2024) by Wasif Noor

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BOOK REVIEW: NONFICTION / From protests to power: The journey to Bangladesh’s July Uprising

Over the past couple of decades, Bangladesh has witnessed three significant social and political movements that have shaped the course of its history.

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THE SHELF / Literature thrives beyond the centre too

“All literature is regional; or conversely, no literature is regional”—is a common sentiment to have today, but I had first read those lines from Joyce Carol Oates, in her preface to a book of stories by one of Canada’s most gifted storytellers, Alistair MacLeod. In MacLeod’s short stories, his Cape Breton Island was a refrain through which the momentous lives of his ordinary characters came through.

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ESSAY / Between tradition and taboo: The arranged marriage trope in Bangla dark romance literature

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not endorse or condone any form of abuse or exploitation.

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EVENT REPORT / Celebrating diversity and language at “Bhasha Utshob 2025”

Gulshan Society held a two-day language festival at the Gulshan Lake Park, curated by Sadaf Saaz and Jatrik. The event took place over the weekend of 21-22 February that saw discussion panels, original musical performances, and poetry recitations, surrounded by an array of book stalls and food courts.

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An odd memory in Dhaka city

The only thing I like about this city is the thought of leaving it. And I was leaving it finally, after one and a half months, my longest stretch of stay in the last three years. Juggling my luggage with one hand and my phone with the other to get Google Maps directions while I balance myself on the rickshaw racing through bumpy Dhaka roads–it is a metaphor that sums up my life in this city.

2y ago

So, ChatGPT can write? Ahem!

The correlation between writing and technology is as old as writing, for writing IS technology.  Technological advances such as papyrus, the printing press, the mechanical pencil, the fountain pen, and  the typewriter have complemented writing.

2y ago

In conversation with South Asia’s preeminent literary agent, Kanishka Gupta

I always tell the authors to make subjective, qualitative decisions. So many of my authors say no to higher offers from publishing houses if they don’t feel comfortable with the publisher or editor.

2y ago

Language can be the ultimate colonial weapon

Despite these heavy themes, Babel remains inherently readable. It is quick to attract the reader’s attention and then hold it captive, making it a very difficult book to put down.

2y ago

How you too can nearly, almost, probably become a Jedi Knight

At its core, 'Star Wars' is a classic tale of underdogs taking on a powerful enemy; it's a story of hope and perseverance, of standing up for what's right even when the odds are against you.

2y ago

Robbers, teachers and graveyards

'In Extreme Need of Guidance', the book being serialised here, captures the first 16 years of Sultana Nahar's life. "The Engineer" is the sixth chapter in the book.

2y ago

Ranajit Guha was the youngest at heart: Dipesh Chakraborty

"The enthusiasm which Ranajit Guha created in our minds in the field of thinking and writing history for more than a decade has never been replicated in the past nor will it be replicated in the future", Dipesh Chakraborty said.

2y ago

Amitav Ghosh's new book will revisit the 19th century opium trade

The book traces the transformative impact that the opium trade had on India, China, Britain and the United States, with profound long-term consequences for the birth of the modern world, and of contemporary globalism.

2y ago

‘Sugar’: Sehri Tales selections, Day 28

The top selections in poetry, flash fiction and artwork for Day 28 of the Sehri Tales challenge; prompt: Sugar

2y ago

‘Total’: Sehri Tales selections, Day 27

The top selections in poetry, flash fiction and artwork for Day 27 of the Sehri Tales challenge; prompt: Total

2y ago