In an initiative that is first of its kind, the Department of English and Humanities at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh is launching the ULAB Literary Salon on Saturday, May 14. The series of monthly events, open to the public, will include book launches, readings, discussion sessions, and sale of books at discounted prices.

"The ULAB Literary Salon will be a first of its kind literary platform in Dhaka to bring together writers, readers and publishers from Bangladesh and elsewhere in South Asia in a setting that is both informal and engaging", the university said.

The first event, on May 14, will comprise a poetry and adda session by the father-daughter duo of Professor Shamsad Mortuza and Arshi Mortuza. Author, poet, and academician, Dr Shamsad Mortuza is Pro Vice Chancellor of ULAB and Dean of the School of Humanities at ULAB, as well as a columnist for The Daily Star; he will be discussing his poetry collection, Barkode, which explores "the craft of writing poetry, quotidian experiences in a world crowded with video games and porous cybersecurity, and the experiences of studying English in the UK while being a person of color".

Arshi Mortuza teaches English at Southeast University, Dhaka and has completed her graduate studies in English at ULAB and Queen's University, Canada. Her poetry collection, One Minute Past Midnight (Nymphea Publications, 2022), explores "the tricky waters of mental health, adolescence, relationships, and the complicated relationship with beauty they bring".

Popular bookstore Bookworm Bangladesh is partnering up with ULAB to offer the books for sale.

The event is to be held at ULAB's Dhanmondi campus on Satmasjid Road. Further updates will be available on the ULAB Literary Salon Facebook and Instagram pages.