Daily Star Books
An invaluable study of Bangladesh's political history
"In Fool’s Paradise" is aptly named as it gives us a glimpse of post-independence Bangladesh, a young nation still struggling to find its identity amidst post-war blows.
A refugee's tale in Calcutta
Unlike many of the war refugees from Bangladesh in Calcutta, he felt no urge to be involved in the war. He had fled the country to save his life, not to participate in the fight.
Reading as a form of resistance: Some anecdotes from the 1971 war
After the war, the library authorities placed advertisements requesting people to return any books from the library that they might have in their possession, but the response was poor. The library's hundred-year-old collection was lost forever.
5 new books that explore family life in fiction
Among the new books we’re excited to read this season, these March releases hold special promise.
In her new book, Maria Chaudhuri reimagines Pohela Boishakh for kids
Illustrated by Kazi Istela Imam, Nobo Opens a Door embraces the occasion of Pohela Boishakh—an event that is dear to many.
'Teestar Kanna' brings Teesta shoal residents to tears
Poet and writer Ishor Dulon Roy, author of Teestar Kanna, told The Daily Star that many of his relatives live on the Teesta shoal. Once they were all rich, all now lost to the river erosion.
‘Monstrous fancies, misshapen dreams’: My ambivalence with ‘Dorian Gray’
“How tragic it would be if you were wasted”, made me smile in a melancholic way. I know moments when “unnecessary things are our only necessities”. And I’ve not been hesitant to give “rebellion its fascination” and “disobedience its charm.”
Books / Fantasy book series you might be missing out on
The best fantasy book series seem to have figured the formulae out in their own unique ways.
Home and its place in Bangla literature
When we study the effects of urbanisation on formerly relevant concepts of home, newer images pop up and we find them coexisting with the previously established one.
A diverse longlist for the 2023 International Booker Prize
Novels from India, the Caribbean, Ukraine, Spain, Bulgaria, Ivory Coast, France, Germany, Mexico, Sweden, China, Norway and South Korea in the longlist.
A legacy of women's freedom in art
Schwartz’s narrator speaks in the choral “we”, and like a daisy chain, they connect all these women’s shared yet individual experiences of feeling closed in, being violated, feeling misunderstood by society, until they all shed their names and managed to “escap[e] the century”.
BookTok is propagating pseudo-feminism
There lies a problem in the type of books that are being popularised by BookTok.
4 nonfiction books that unpack South Asian feminism with nuance
The collection comprises essays, poetry, short fiction, feature pieces, interviews, research reports, and photographs and artwork that explore the physical, psychological and political experiences of menstruation across South Asia.
Why Iceland is a masterclass in equality
The government is better than any other nation in supporting single mothers. Parental leave is generous, and the choices and decisions by all are respected.
Feminist retellings: How books reimagine mythological women
These women display extensive strength, determination and valour, acting as the pillars of their families and masters of their own fate.
Children's books everyone should read
Children’s books might end up giving us more as adults than they did to us as children.
Looking back at the Liberation War through poetry
On the third day of the event, two documentaries were showcased. The first featured the infamous Belonia Battle, and Pakistan’s first and only surrender to the freedom fighters. It emphasised how the battle is closely intertwined with Bangladesh’s military history and has a special significance in the turn of events that led to our independence.
‘We are the only species to have threatened life on the planet’
Historian Dipesh Chakrabarty discusses human and geological evolution in an exclusive conversation with The Daily Star
Márquez told me people can fly sometimes
In celebration of Gabriel Garcia Márquez, born on this day, March 6, 1927.
A new novel from Murakami after 6 years
The City and Its Uncertain Walls will be released on April 13.