books
THE SHELF / 6 Books to add to your summer reading list
As summer rolls around and our lifestyle changes to adjust to the heat, so do a lot of our books! So here are a few books that might make a good addition to this year’s summer reading list.
BOOK REVIEW: FICTION / The strange library of Haruki Murakami
Review of the Bangla translation of ‘A Strange Library’ (Knopf, 2014) by Haruki Murakami
BOOK REVIEW: FICTION / The unanticipated consequences of caretaking
From the sensory delights of birdsong in the morning and sunset views from a lookout point to the less appealing realities of monitoring stagnant pond water and counting newts, we accompany Katie on her journey of discovery.
THE SHELF / 5 short books you can read and finish on Eid day
Here is a list of 5 short and swift books for fellow bookworms (people who would much rather stay in than socialise) to nestle in with on this Eid day.
THE SHELF / 5 of your favourite iftar items as books
The youthful adventurers in the story spare no effort in unravelling a mystery that proves as elusive as the unyielding strands of jilapi, while also exploring deeper, sweeter themes such as friendship.
INTERVIEW / In conversation with Shazia Omar: Fiction, wellness, readership, and everything in between
'I would like to see more writing coming out of Bangladesh,' Shazia Omar said. 'We are still behind'
BOOK REVIEW: FICTION / A country coming to life
Weaving the grand themes of politics and history, the book is a revelation into how the ordinary lives within a country are buffeted by constant changes.
BOOK REVIEW: NONFICTION / Bangladesh beyond geopolitics in a new multipolar world: what’s new in foreign policy trajectory?
Both the China and India factors in Bangladesh’s foreign policy decisions, as identified in Li Jianjun and Deb Mukharji’s chapters, will be continuously evolving and contributing factors that would perhaps influence Bangladesh’s policies with other countries as well.
EVENT REPORT / D's Bistro unveils 'Golper Provat' in celebration of international mother language day
The stage was then graced by accomplished writers, each sharing unique insights. Mahbubur Rahman highlighted the importance of entertaining communication for writers.
Has the Boi Mela been reduced to photographic aesthetics and vacuous controversies?
In the last few years, there has been a paradigm shift in the traditional book fair culture. The commercialisation and curation of hyper nationalist books have led to the absence of literature and stories of “others”.
Ekushey Boi Mela: Children's books and what to expect
With only a few days to go, there’s still a chance to take the younger ones to the book fair and check out the wide range of books available
BTS of Ekushey Boi Mela: Is our publishing industry overly reliant on one event?
Most publishing companies in Bangladesh are not big enough for them to have a fully functioning marketing team or a viable marketing strategy.
Dynamics of race and riches in ‘Such a Fun Age’
In the thick of it is a young woman of colour who’s a late bloomer and eventually finds her footing.
Rifat Munim on Bangladeshi fiction: ‘This is a diverse terrain you are going to tread on’
In the foreword, I wanted to capture how I, as a child, grew up listening to different stories: ghost stories, mythical stories from both Sanatana and Islamic religious scriptures, and fairy tales from 'Thakurmar Jhuli', compiled by Dakkhinaranjan Mitra Majumdar. It was a time when there were no boundaries for my imagination.
Turning the pages of Ekushey Boi Mela
Boi Mela is more than a clickable link we see on our phone screens; it is more than the controversies and public debates.
A tale of forced displacement and uncertain futures
Review of ‘The Displaced Rohingyas: A Tale Of A Vulnerable Community’ (Routledge, 2024), edited by SK Tawfique M Haque, Bulbul Siddiqi, and Mahmudur Rahman Bhuiyan.
The dairyman that won our hearts
It doesn’t get sweeter than a 90-year-old curd seller being awarded the second highest civilian award in Bangladesh, the Ekushey Padak.
Anubad Sahitya Puraskar 2024: Celebrating the achievements of translators
Speakers talked about the losses and the gains of the meaning of text after having undergone translation, about the responsibility and the power that a translator holds in taking an author’s words and transforming it for a different reader base.
Navigating the Ekushey Boi Mela
With rows upon rows of book stalls offering everything from timeless classics to contemporary bestsellers, navigating through this maze of books can be both exhilarating and overwhelming
