Sometime ago, a writer reached out to me with a request. His debut novel was being published later in the year and he was wondering if I would be open to reviewing it. I was aware of the book, having read it when it was still only a draft. The author was not someone I only knew, either, but a mentor who had supported my writing in many ways, even through monetary means. Refusing him, then, felt tantamount to betrayal. But I had to in the end, and though he understood, I still came out of the exchange feeling guilty of being unhelpful or, worse, ungrateful.

Review of 'Shamim Reza: Selected Poems' (ULAB Press, 2023)

The eight girls in Headshot clearly hope to escape the chaos of their lives in the ring.

The 309-page-long dystopian novel is an oppressive account of Eilish who tries to keep her family from falling apart as everything around her crumbles.

“Mr Nurul Amin couldn’t realise what bureaucracy had dragged him down to”. Remember how you needed to absolutely memorise this line with context and underlying meaning for answering comprehension-based questions? Well, that was to earn a couple of marks in exams. Turns out, it is also a 101 guide on how to earn a nation back.

During the 53 years of Bangladesh’s existence, its people have had to endure and take down two autocratic regimes; not only did they oust an autocrat in July 2024 through a mass uprising, but 1991 also saw the downfall of the autocrat, Hussain Muhammad Ershad, through another rebellion.

The International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, observed each year on August 9, serves as an important reminder of the many injustices that take place in the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh

Irrespective of the ambivalence that marks Metaphysical poetry of the 17th century, Selim marvels us with his choice of words and precision of utterance.

One does not need to remember Rabindranath on the occasion of the anniversary of his death—22 Srabon or August 7 to be precise.

It's true, I feel differently about books that I previously disliked or enjoyed reading and books that I want as a physical presence in my life

In the post-9/11 world, no country’s name has been evoked more than Turkey’s (or its newly rebranded name of Türkiye) in public discussions by foreign policy pundits and politicians alike, to demonstrate the harmonious symbiosis of the East and West, Islam and secularism, and tradition and modernity.

The poet says that since her childhood, Tagore’s poems and music have been resounding in her heart and soul and that she murmured his lines even  in her sleep

'The Hippo Girl and Other Stories' holds up a mirror to a society that judges and ridicules those that do not adhere to its shortsighted vision of a homogenised culture.

One of the movements which helped accelerate the Liberation War of Bangladesh was the Mass Uprising of 1969.

“There is only one life to live— In this lifetime, why should Rajakars have to be seen again?”

For when you want a book that makes you laugh out loud while also making your stomach go woosh with butterflies

When a book mentions one of my favourite authors, W. Somerset Maugham, and the short description suggests betrayal, intrigue, secret affairs, political uprisings, failed marriages, and a whodunnit, there’s little I can do but take it.

Kaveh Akbar’s Martyr! is unruly and endearing. Akbar’s years as a poet has given his debut novel an honesty that shines through the book’s arduous structure. And for all of Martyr!’s exhilarating tone and emotional trek, the difficulties of writing a novel on addiction, martyrdom, death, and meaning is evident when one reads it.

Callahan’s novel came to her during the pandemic when she found herself waking up with a large ringing noise in her head.

With news of his newfound freedom making headlines, many may struggle to recall the original charges against him and the debates he sparked on free speech and journalistic practices