HarperCollins India publishes English edition of Mohammad Nazimuddin’s acclaimed thriller

In a significant development for contemporary Bengali literature, global publishing giant HarperCollins India has released the English translation of Rabindranath Ekhane Kokhono Khete Ashen Ni (originally published in 2015), a psychological thriller by Bangladeshi author Mohammad Nazimuddin. The publication marks another momentous time that a Bangladeshi novel has been released under the HarperCollins India banner, following works by Shahidul Zahir, highlighting the growing international recognition of Bangladeshi literary voices.

Nazimuddin is widely known in Bangladesh for his fast-paced crime and psychological novels. With 11 titles to his name, including the popular Nemesis (2010) series and standalone works like Jaal (2013), 1952 – Nichok Kono Shonkha Noy (2014), and Pendulum (2017), he has established a strong readership base. He is also the founder of Baatighar Prokashoni, a Dhaka-based publishing house that has become a fixture in the country's literary landscape.

Translated as Tagore Never Ate Here, the novel is arguably Nazimuddin's most celebrated work. Set in the remote town of Sundarpur, the novel centers around a mysterious restaurant with an equally enigmatic name. The establishment, known for its rather strange charm and captivating cuisine, is run by Muskan Zuberi, a widow from an aristocratic lineage whose mystique fuels local rumors of witchcraft and black magic.

Originally published in Bangla, the book has seen considerable success, prompting the release of a sequel titled Rabindranath Ekhane Kokhono Asenni in 2019. It was published simultaneously in Dhaka and Kolkata during the Ekushey Book Fair and Kolkata Book Fair, respectively. Indian editions of Nazimuddin's novels have been brought out by the Kolkata-based Abhijan Publishers.

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The novel was also adapted into a Bengali web series directed by Srijit Mukherji and released on the Indian OTT platform Hoichoi, further expanding the story's reach to audiences beyond the printed page.

With HarperCollins now backing the English edition, Rabindranath Never Came Here to Eat is poised to introduce a global readership to Nazimuddin's distinctive voice and to the evolving landscape of Bangladeshi genre fiction. 

The English translation, by V. Ramaswamy, is set to be released on July 14.

Bashirah Tahreema is a poet chasing a life in STEM but her dream is to live in a falling-apart castle in a forest that is probably cursed, and watch reruns of Modern Family forever.