books
‘Potrika Porbo’ magazine fair underway at Bengal Boi
Bengal Boi is hosting a magazine fair, ‘Potrika Porbo’, at their premises in Dhanmondi until Saturday, December 4.
2 December 2021, 13:55 PM
Dark Academia: Why we love it and what needs to change
Dusty libraries, tweed blazers, candles, classics, coffee pots and armchairs: these are some of the basic elements of a social media aesthetic when one is into Dark Academia.
1 December 2021, 18:00 PM
In 'Thug', Mike Dash myth-busts British India’s cult of stranglers
It is nearly impossible to know nothing about British India’s infamous cult that systematically killed and robbed Indian travelers for hundreds of years. However, almost every write-up available today is an exaggerated horror story that fails to reflect upon the real events.
1 December 2021, 18:00 PM
Manoranjan Byapari's 'Imaan': Between the familiar and the alien
Through Imaan's interactions with the world outside of the central jail in Kolkata, we meet rickshaw pullers, street hawkers, and tea-stall owners, who belong mostly to the lowest strata of the society and come from highly marginalised caste and economic backgrounds.
1 December 2021, 18:00 PM
Han Kang's 'The Vegetarian': Surrealism and suffering in South Korea
Han Kang’s atmospheric novel, The Vegetarian (Portobello, 2016), is an evocative look at the psychosis of a woman plagued by her own humanity. In a masterstroke,
24 November 2021, 18:00 PM
Staff picks for Nonfiction November
Cleghorn pairs her personal experiences and traces through history how women's bodies have been taught to be hidden and shamed, instead of being taken as what it is—a biological entity.
24 November 2021, 18:00 PM
IN MEMORY OF HASAN AZIZUL HAQUE: Two tales of violence from the hands of a master
Hasan Azizul Haque, who passed away on November 15, 2021, began his career with the publication of the short story “Shokun” in 1960, and since its publication till today, it has shocked and stupefied most readers who have found their way to this unique and masterfully crafted story—reading it is not an experience one forgets easily, or ever.
24 November 2021, 18:00 PM
Ekushey Boi Mela plans for 2022
After the low turnout at Amar Ekushey Boi Mela this year, the Academic and Creative Publishers Association of Bangladesh hosted a discussion seminar on November 16, with notable authors, publishers, and media personalities as special guests, in order to ensure a smooth experience for all attendees in the coming year.
18 November 2021, 10:47 AM
Brandon Taylor’s ‘Real Life’—It’s seldom fair.
Brandon Taylor’s Real Life (Riverhead Books, 2020) begins with the protagonist, Wallace, contemplating his father’s death and feeling lonely amongst his friends because they do not understand the experiences he has had. The novel’s exploration of “real life” over the course of a weekend is also one that unpacks identity, race, sexuality, and the sheer boredom and frustration of postgraduate life.
18 November 2021, 07:16 AM
High Commission of India launches Bangla edition of book, 'Operation X'
On November 8, the High Commission of India hosted a book launching ceremony wherein the Bangla version of Operation X (HarperCollins Publishers India, 2019) was unveiled.
13 November 2021, 09:11 AM
Ujan hosts award-giving ceremony for book review contest on Korean Literature
Bangladeshi publishing house Ujan Prokashan organised a book review contest where participants had to review Korean Literature on Monday, November 8.
13 November 2021, 08:59 AM
Elif Shafak's 'Black Milk': Can a writer be a mother too?
Black Milk is an autobiographical documentation of Shafak's hesitation, anxiety, perplexity, and self-discovery as she is about to enter the phase of motherhood.
10 November 2021, 18:00 PM
Some gold, some lemonade, and a whole lot of ambition—the recipe for immigrant success in Sanjena Sathian's 'Gold Diggers'
Sanjena Sathian’s debut novel, Gold Diggers (Penguin Press, 2021), is set in an Indian American enclave within suburban Atlanta, a pressure-
10 November 2021, 18:00 PM
Revisiting 'The Bell Jar': a feminist masterpiece that reverberates through time
Vivid imagery and symbolism of deep human emotion are found throughout Plath’s novel, as the readers are allowed a look into the mind of a 19-year-old girl who is trapped in the kind of society where women are perceived only as objects of desire and vessels for procreation.
3 November 2021, 11:41 AM
Young-adult mysteries to add to your reading list
Everyone, except Pippa, believes that Salil Singh killed his girlfriend, Andie Bell, five years ago. Before he could be charged, Salil was found in the woods, apparently having committed suicide.
31 October 2021, 08:16 AM
The Shelf: New in nonfiction this month
Amitav Ghosh traces back to the lineage of nutmegs originating in the Banda Islands to argue how colonisation deeply influences the geopolitics even in the contemporary world, a violent phenomenon that has led to natural disasters linked to climate change.
27 October 2021, 18:00 PM
Matthew Salesses demystifies the craft of writing
Storytelling is a space in which, as writers and readers, we experience the ways of how we know the world and interact with it.
27 October 2021, 18:00 PM
Is book blogging in Bangladesh a privilege?
You walk into a room and come across stacks and stacks of books neatly arranged on shelves lining the walls, a couple of pristine white bedsheets, an intricate marble backdrop, and the smell of half a dozen candles blending together as your eyes are drawn to the centre of attention: glimmering, gold-foiled book covers. This is the commonly seen, romanticised setup for a book blogger’s photoshoot. Unfortunately, the real, behind-the-scenes process of blogging in Bangladesh can be quite different.
24 October 2021, 13:36 PM
Ujan Book Review Contest 2021 announces winners, reviews Korean literature in translation
Participants reviewed Bangla translations of two significant works of Korean literature—Korear Kobita (Korean Poetry) translated by Chhanda Mahbub, and Korear Golpo (Short Stories of Korea), edited by Soroishwarja Muhommod. Both translations were published by Ujan Prakashan and assisted by the Literature Translation Institute of Korea, who also helped organise the contest.
19 October 2021, 09:05 AM
Breakthrough: A tale of love and prejudice
Suhail Aziz’s book, Breakthrough (Book Guild, 2020), is a memoir of a British Bengali and his intertwined personal story of love and prejudice. Aziz is best known within the UK Bengali community for his involvement with the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE).
17 October 2021, 05:46 AM