literature

A tribute to Jowshan Ara Rahman

I got to know Jowshan Ara better when I visited her home to interview her husband, Mahbub ul Alam Chowdhury, the poet who wrote the first poem on Ekushey.

FICTION / After the rain

While leaving the institute, a nurse gave me a packet of cigarettes as a token of friendship

MUSINGS / The whimsical storytelling of video games

Creating a video game, especially one that is storyline-based or an open-world role-playing game, is like creating an entirely new universe

FICTION / Insomnia

You are wide awake again

ESSAY / Intertextuality in Shahaduz Zaman’s ‘Prithibite Hoyto Brihaspatibar’

Shahaduz Zaman stands out prominently as a significant figure in the contemporary Bangla literary landscape, utilising intertextuality throughout his works, and   infusing various texts and genres into his narratives.

Schools need to rethink how they teach Literature

Schools must revamp literature education to foster creativity.

POETRY / Relaxed reminiscences

(For Lutfa, Nayeem, and Aarong Herbal Hair Pack)

EVENT REPORT / Sheikh Zayed Book Award announces winners for the 18th edition

The winners were announced on 4 April, 2024, with the ceremony being hosted by Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, chairman of the SZBA Board of Trustees

What to expect if you want to major in Bangla

Majoring in Bangla promises a journey through a kaleidoscope of academic marvels.

June 8, 2023
June 8, 2023

Our 'entangled freedoms'

The curtailment of free speech and writing is especially distressing for the liberal classes in the US, given the values enshrined in the First Amendment with its guarantee of freedom of expression and the press.

May 31, 2023
May 31, 2023

5 "own voices" romance books that will warm your heart

The path towards truly diverse representation in literature necessitates that marginalised authors are given the chance to tell their own stories and shape our understanding of diverse experiences. 

May 27, 2023
May 27, 2023

Z Library is back for public use

Late last year, on November 4, the domain names of Z-Library were seized by the US Department of Justice after Booktokers began sharing the link publicly.

May 14, 2023
May 14, 2023

On mothers and reading

I wonder at how these frugal, accessible pleasures define her daily existence and get elated with the fact that reading takes up a significant space on the shelf

May 12, 2023
May 12, 2023

A gripping portrayal of one of Greek mythology’s most strong-willed women

We witness her ferocities that are little associated with the common understanding of a “just” ruler. We see her as a loving mother, while also finding the fallibilities of motherhood flawlessly seamed into the storytelling.

April 29, 2023
April 29, 2023

Alternative routes

The book as a whole is a rigorously pursued exercise in the close reading of a fascinating and diverse array of modern texts that aren't quite in the category of the canonical mainstream.

April 19, 2023
April 19, 2023

South of the Border, West of the Sun – A love story that haunts you

This book is a fantastic introduction to Haruki Murakami’s world of literature.

April 13, 2023
April 13, 2023

The great Padma story

Shorn of its sacred grandeur the Padma has embraced its secularised and earthier image with some muscularity, audacity and flair.

April 2, 2023
April 2, 2023

Five books by Muslim authors you should read

These books reflect a part of the world and culture in which we live.

April 2, 2023
April 2, 2023

4 fully funded Creative Writing MFA programs in the US worth exploring

While Canada, and now some programs in the UK, have also started offering the degree, it is in the United States that it is most common and rigorous.