Journalist Rashel Mahmud publishes book after eight years
"The first book I had published comprised a short story. My second book of short stories came out 14 years after that", the writer said.
After an eight year hiatus, Koyekchhatra Kannar Golpo is the 5th book written by the fiction writer, poet and journalist Rashel Mahmud.
"The first book I had published comprised a short story. My second book of short stories came out 14 years after that. Two poetry books and a novel were released in the meantime. While I have to continue writing because I am a journalist, I took a break from writing stories and poems for the last eight years. I hope to continue it regularly from now on", he said.
Commenting about the various problems and barriers faced by young writers, Rashel Mahmud commented, "It is not possible to earn a living through writing here. Because of that, people who want to make a career out of writing do not succeed. They have to be engaged in another profession alongside practising literature, which makes it even more difficult to write."
He further added, "This is why the writer Zakir Talukder did not practise medicine. If professionalism is ensured, it would be possible to earn a living even by writing."
Rashel Mahmud has been working as a journalist in mainstream national dailies for the past decade. He has worked in Jugantar, Alokito Bangladesh and Prothom Alo. Having been active in the little magazine scene and various literary organisations since his student life, he received training in the Bangla Academy Tarun Lekhok Prokolpo in 2011. Since 2015, he has been working as a culture reporter at Prothom Alo.
Mahmud's second book of poetry, titled Inbox Bhore Geche Bokuler Ghrane, was published in 2015 and gained a wide readership. Koyekchhatra Kannar Golpo, released at the Boi Mela this year, has been published by Palal Prakashani and narrates the life stories of 10 women.