Editorial

We are so starved for things to do in Dhaka that any large event draws thousands of people, but the Ekushey Boi Mela is my favourite. Its demographics aren’t stifled into niches of literary elite, aspiring writers, or just people who really like books, but instead appeals to everyone. And I love that. The Ekushey Boi Mela opens its doors every year to everyone with the possibility of turning them into readers. Unlike other book fairs around the world, the Boi Mela doesn’t merely act as a market for book publishers. Simply put, the idea of families spending their Fridays celebrating books makes me feel warm all over. No other event revolved around the arts can attract as big a crowd, with as much enthusiasm as the Ekushey Boi Mela in the country. 

– Talat Ahmed, Sub-editor, SHOUT