Into the unknown: Fairytale retellings in ‘The Myth Bridge’

On September 9, the Gulshan 2 branch of Bookworm Bangladesh played host to a special reading event featuring the creators of The Myth Bridge. This event, a joint effort by the Goethe-Institut and the HerStory Foundation, was made possible through collaboration with Star Books and Literature, all in celebration of World Literacy Day.

The Myth Bridge is a novel that intertwines the narratives of eight legendary characters: Bibi Ma, Rapunzel, Bon Bibi, Fox, Snow White, Chader Buri, Behula, and Frau Perchta, originating from Bengali and German folklore. The story came to life during a four-day role-playing game in Dhaka, where the writers and illustrators stepped into the shoes of eight heroines from German and Bengali folklore. This collaborative project brought together a team of writers, illustrators, editors, and translators from both Bangladesh and Germany. It's an ambitious venture jointly initiated by the Goethe-Institut and the HerStory Foundation. The book was launched at Dhaka Lit Fest earlier this year. 

On Saturday, the creators of the novel Akramul Momen, Kazi Istela Imam and Salzar Rahman came under one roof and read parts from their characters in the story: Behula, Chader Buri and Fox. Katerina Don, the Curator at HerStory Foundation, took on the role of reading Snow White and Rapunzel's story. The event was moderated by Nazia Manzoor, Editor of Star Books and Literature. 

The event started at 5 PM, and by then, the atmosphere of Bookworm Bangladesh came alive with attendees eagerly anticipating the event to kick off. The event succeeded in drawing participants from a wide range of age groups.

The initial segment of the event comprised reading passages from the book, accompanied by discussions led by the moderator and creators of the book, shedding light on the book's creation process. This was followed by a Q&A session with the audience.

Talking about his experience of the event, Salzar Rahman, who plays the Fox in the book, said the event was cosy. "Bookstores are naturally a place where I feel comfortable. The questions were thoughtful and the audience attentive, which is not always the case", he added. 

The book itself is the product of collaboration between young talented artists and writers from Germany and Bangladesh. The event provided attendees with insights into the book's unique development process. The creators discussed the thought process that led to the creation of the characters' journey, the challenges they encountered during the writing and editing process, and the inspiration behind the narrative choices. They revealed that the project presented significant challenges, particularly in terms of cross-cultural collaboration, and also dealt with heavy subject matter within the book. However, in the end, everything fell into place seamlessly.

Nazia Manzoor commented,"What I particularly appreciated was the approach to storytelling. The book started out with a very specific premise but the stories that emerged were trying to retell traditional forms of storytelling,  particularly focusing on women's empowerment, autonomy, and our perceptions of gender and subjectivity. The alternatives that they were providing were unique in terms of the context of the text. It came true in the readings as well."

HerStory Foundation's curator Katerina Don, reflecting on the event, remarked, "It was great to revisit The Myth Bridge. We went on a ride through some of our favourite parts; Chader Buri's recall poem, The Editor's master plan, Snow White's wake-up routine, Rapunzel giving birth, and the Neel Kamal Lal Kamal gas station. The wonderful questions from moderator Nazia Manzoor of Daily Star books, prompted us to reflect on the story anew." 

In the past, the HerStory Foundation, in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut, has organised events of a similar nature, bringing together artists and authors for engaging and thought-provoking gatherings in Dhaka. The purpose of this particular event was to celebrate World Literacy Day, which was on September 8. 

Bookworm Bangladesh's Amina Rahman said, "It's a wonderful event that we are proud to have hosted." 

As with their past gatherings, this event drew a diverse audience, and the bookshop was completely packed with attendees. Additionally, she remarked, "This is a unique book breathed and brought to life by a very talented and creative group working and having fun together and pulled this together from their collective imaginations for our enjoyment. Absolutely beautiful to look at and fascinating to read!"

Usraat Fahmidah is a freelance journalist and writer. You can reach her on twitter @usraatfahmidah