interview

ISD celebrates 25 years of success with a new strategy in place

ISD is celebrating its 25th anniversary. On this occasion, Rising Stars sat down with Steve Calland-Scoble, the Director of ISD and an accomplished educator, to talk about the school and its plans going forward.

INTERVIEW / The old and new Bangladesh from the eyes of a historical fiction writer

In the West, South Asian literature is primarily dominated by works from India and then Pakistan. This dominance has made it difficult for Bangladeshi authors to receive the attention they deserve for their work

INTERVIEW / Unconventional realities and intense friendships

Saikat Majumdar writes with a sharp poignancy that arrows straight to the core of the heart.

INTERVIEW / Into the world of speculative fiction: An Interview with 'Small World City'

This past August, Dhaka’s speculative fiction magazine 'Small World City' enjoyed their first anniversary. The magazine, over this last year, has published some of the more striking works of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry coming out of the country

INTERVIEW / Outliers take centre-stage in Shah Tazrian Ashrafi’s debut collection

It’s hard not to recall our many conversations about literature as I try to summarise Shah Tazrian Ashrafi’s debut collection of short stories. They were always short discussions, opening and closing off in spurts, as happens over text. Exclamations over a new essay collection by Zadie Smith, or a new novel by Isabel Allende.

INTERVIEW / A look at AAPI representation in tech with Kyla Zhao of ‘Valley Verified’

This week, Kyla Zhao, the author of Valley Verified (Penguin Random House, 2024), graced us with an exclusive interview to give us insights into the changing trends in Asian American literature.

INTERVIEW / Of language and free will

'We are truly prisoners of the mind', says Sanya Rushdi, the author-narrator of Hospital (Giramondo Publishing, 2023)

INTERVIEW / On making zines with Aqui Thami

A big believer in social exchanges and developing safe spaces to position art as a medium of healing in community, Thami works on ceremonial interventions, performances, drawings, zine-making, fly posting, and public intervention, brought together by participant involvement

INTERVIEW / A perfect cup of literary ‘saa’

Priyanka Taslim greets me with a gentle smile as we meet over Zoom. She is eloquent and our conversation flows organically, akin to an adda over a cup of saa (cha).

April 8, 2024
April 8, 2024

"It's the start of a conversation": Journalist Kavita Puri on producing a podcast series on the Bengal famine

In the latest documentary podcast series “Three Million”, journalist Kavita Puri seeks to answer this haunting question: “How do three million people just disappear?” by talking to some of the last surviving witnesses, including Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen. 

March 23, 2024
March 23, 2024

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'

March 21, 2024
March 21, 2024

In conversation with Jo Mithen, CEO, Monash College

Jo Mithen is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Monash College. Monash College is a wholly owned subsidiary of Monash University in Melbourne, Australia.

February 24, 2024
February 24, 2024

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.

January 25, 2024
January 25, 2024

A fixed strand of identity: in conversation with Amal Awad

As a Palestinian-Australian, you’ve stressed the importance of telling stories about everyday Palestinians. Why is it important to tell such stories?

December 30, 2023
December 30, 2023

In conversation with Anjali Singh and Arif Anwar

"I think of myself as someone who just really enjoys people, bringing people out, and hearing about what they’re working on": Anjali Singh

October 19, 2023
October 19, 2023

Tips for acing your first job interview

It's crucial to stay current as a candidate by keeping up with the latest trends in your field.

October 6, 2023
October 6, 2023

“We need writers to know what society will look like in the future”

A large number of contemporary writers in the country think of avoiding politics. But that itself is also a kind of politics—the politics of the status quo.

August 19, 2023
August 19, 2023

Unravelling Bangali feminism and female rage

Feminism and literature share a profound connection as literature gives voice to the experiences of women, allowing us to understand their perspective. However, despite the abundance of information in the technological age, the promotion of feminist books remains a challenge in Bangladesh, often facing criticism from conservatives.

July 15, 2023
July 15, 2023

‘Bangladesh has failed to foster an environment that encourages creative and intellectual freedom’: Badruddin Umar

How writers and their consciousness evolve in a country is largely dependent on that society’s intellectual development, their freedom of expression, and if their intellectual development is encouraged or discouraged.