A Promising Author
A Promising Author
Javed Jahangir is a promising Bangladeshi author. His works have been published in the Daily Star, Bengal Lights Journal, Smokelong Quarterly and many other literary blogs and journals.He is a founding member of beyondthemargins.com, a website of daily literary essays. He was on the 2011 panel of judges for the RISCA (Rhode Island State Council Arts) Fiction Fellowship award. He has contributed to, and been editor-in-chief of The Grub Street Writers' 10 year Anthology. His novel 'Ghost Alley' is launched in this year's Hay Festival, Dhaka by Bengal Foundation Publishers. This emerging writer talks to the Star about his thoughts, works and future plan.
What actually inspired you to write 'Ghost Alley'?
I actually felt more triggered than inspired to write this novel. During my stay in the USA I found many of friends from different countries who know almost nothing about Bangladesh's rich culture and history of struggle against oppression. I think the reason behind this ignorance is we don't have that much literary contribution in English reflecting our tradition and history. This triggered me to write something on my country and the society. Ghost Alley is a fiction novel but it reflects the challenges and changes Bangladesh has gone through.
How did you put Bangladesh's history in your novel?
I would like to say that Ghost Alley is not at all a history book. It's actually a fiction novel. The narrator of the novel is Ludo a 12 year old boy who lives with his mother, aunts, and mad grandmother, Suraya. When Suraya's half-sister, the blind Nadira, comes to their house seeking silent revenge for unknown past crimes, Ludo starts to discover a world of unknown and thrilling stories. Actually the reflections on Bangladesh's society and history have been narrated through the stories of these two women and the boy.
Why did you choose the name Ghost Alley?
I liked this name Ghost Alley which actually is a variation of Bhuter Goli. Ghost represents something missing or something that is no more with us and we have to tell about it with other's story as Nobel Laureate Tony Morrison says. Dhaka is actually the city which has been haunted by all the historical persons and incidents significant for Bangladesh whether negative or positive in terms of result we have experienced. Like ghosts these past incidents were the access points for me to get into the history.
Still Bangladesh has been going through a lot of turmoil and changes in the socio-political arena. What do you think of it as a writer?
I think this is the time for Bangladeshi youth to contribute to their country. They have the ability to research on Bangladesh's history and to extract the true facts from a lot of biased narratives. Many people who have seen the days of upheaval of 90, great liberation war of 71 or even the partition of 47. But it is very natural that their accounts may have a flavour of their own point of view. But youth have the ability and the enthusiasm I believe to extract the true facts and this can contribute a lot to solve the current turmoil.
What is your upcoming project?
Currently I am working on my second novel which will be more on contemporary Bangladesh. Though I am currently living in the USA, I am very much interested to know what Bangladeshi youths are thinking of their country and society.
Javed Jahangir can be contacted through his facebook page ‘Javed Jahangir, author’.