books

Finding comfort in mythological retellings

Children of the Indian subcontinent grew up listening to the fascinating stories of the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. Both of these epics are set at a time when the lives of gods and men still intersected and weaved narratives full of great complexity.
19 February 2023, 13:03 PM

A novel of war and love

50 years pass but Tanes still carries Zohra's photograph and letter in his chest pocket. 
19 February 2023, 08:50 AM

Hear us out, e-books are the future

Ebooks have come a long way in recent years and can now mimic the experience of reading a physical book in many ways.
17 February 2023, 04:15 AM

Romance novels for those who aren’t in love

These books have made me fall for the idea of love, and believe in it.
16 February 2023, 12:55 PM

1901 feels a lot like 2020 in Orhan Pamuk’s latest novel

How Mingherians responded to the infectious plague in 1901 isn’t altogether different from our response to the Covid-19. They too hid their patients in fear of stigma and isolation.
15 February 2023, 18:00 PM

Boi Mela books for your Valentine

With Valentine’s day falling at the same time as Boi Mela, what could be a better gift than books?
14 February 2023, 05:02 AM

When fiction challenges communalism

A journey that shreds castes and creeds to heal the self-esteem of a woman.
13 February 2023, 13:49 PM

In conversation with Fournetsha Bangladesh – the company behind Bangladesh’s latest original manga magazine

SHOUT sat down with the team behind “Source?” to discuss the future of the magazine and the potential it has for cultivating manga culture in Bangladesh.
12 February 2023, 14:56 PM

Revisiting Syed Mujtaba Ali’s 'Shabnam'

A face may launch a thousand ships but the very woman with the face has a passive presence in literature.
12 February 2023, 09:00 AM

Everything is illuminated, but something is lost

All of it–the material right for my level, the books a bit too adult for me at the time, the texts where I could only guess at the brilliance but would have to shelve until I could revisit them a couple of decades later for better comprehension–all of it has led me to become myself: For better or for worse. 
10 February 2023, 18:00 PM

8 new books to buy at Boi Mela this week

Historical fiction, romance, essays, and travelogues.
10 February 2023, 09:39 AM

The books you will meet at Dhaka Art Summit 2023

For those who are especially interested in literature in book form, the first two floors of the exhibition hold treasures. 
9 February 2023, 13:31 PM

Revisiting indigenous folktales at Dhaka Art Summit

“We wanted to share the story in our native language, just the way we heard it from our elders", said Kanak Chanpa Chakma.
8 February 2023, 14:07 PM

Bengali ‘anti-novelist’ Subimal Misra no more

Bengali author Subimal Misra, 80, breathed his last at 4:50 AM on Wednesday. 
8 February 2023, 08:49 AM

The untapped potential of our public libraries

There are few public libraries across the city which can be considered to have a decent book collection in both Bangla and English.
5 February 2023, 14:42 PM

‘It feels like a living thing’: The House on RK Mission Road

When I think of the thick limestone walls of the house now I think of the essence of the generations of our family that it has absorbed.
4 February 2023, 15:14 PM

Hopes, disappointments and this year’s Ekushey Boi Mela

"I don’t believe that we will get redress from the government in this matter. The only way out is a total reform of the state": Altaf Parvez, writer and researcher.
4 February 2023, 08:54 AM

The world of Colleen Hoover does not warrant celebration

Depiction of such problematic forms of ‘romance’ and relationships surely distort the judgement of readers regarding love and romance.
3 February 2023, 18:00 PM

Book adaptations to look forward to in 2023

The live-action rock series follows the rise of a rock band through the 1970s Los Angeles music scene as they embark on a quest for worldwide fame.
3 February 2023, 09:53 AM

First impressions of the “Source?” manga magazine

The first issue of Source? released on February 1 following a pre-order campaign. The 300-page-long magazine, which can be bought online and currently at the Amar Ekushey Boi Mela,
2 February 2023, 16:10 PM