In Gemini Wahhaj’s debut novel, The Children of This Madness (7.13 Books, 2023), the follow the lives of engineering professor Nasir Uddin and his daughter Beena, an aspiring PhD candidate living in the US.
Aranyak follows the story of Satyacharan, who, on account of his new job, moves from his urban life to one revolving around a jungle. Him and his partner, Jugalprasad, find a mutual fondness for the nature they are surrounded by.
Featuring a diverse lineup of 38 authors from 9 countries—including UAE, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Singapore, Malaysia, and Scotland—the festival promises three days of engaging panel discussions,
The youthful adventurers in the story spare no effort in unravelling a mystery that proves as elusive as the unyielding strands of jilapi, while also exploring deeper, sweeter themes such as friendship.
In the latest documentary podcast series “Three Million”, journalist Kavita Puri seeks to answer this haunting question: “How do three million people just disappear?” by talking to some of the last surviving witnesses, including Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen.
The winners were announced on 4 April, 2024, with the ceremony being hosted by Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, chairman of the SZBA Board of Trustees
The title of this book suggests that it is based in Bengal but it really meanders deftly across time and space, more often than not in “mazy motion”.
The Covenant of Water by physician and author Abraham Verghese tells the story of three generations of an Orthodox Saint Thomas Christian family in Kerala. Through suffering and loss, triumphs and victories, the importance of familial ties is examined and supported. In the Kerala of the 1940s, blood ties were sacred, but “family” also meant helpers who worked for you. Members of the three-generational family seem to be under a curse which causes its members to drown in water. The mystical power of water in our lives is explored with precision and sensitivity in the novel.
A review of ‘Temple Lamp: Verses on Banaras’ (India Penguin Classics, 2023) by Mirza Ghalib, translated by Maaz Bin Bilal
Though on its surface Sanya Rushdi’s Hospital, translated into English by Arunava Sinha and recently longlisted for the 2024 Stella Prize, looks to be a breezy, short read—it is anything but. With her rather flattened, sparse prose, Rushdi has managed to write an enduring piece of autofiction, a compelling account of psychosis that neither sensationalises nor withers away any sentimentality from the struggles of mental health.
In Deena Mohamed’s Shubeik Lubeik (originally published in 2015 and translated in 2023 by Mohamed herself), wishes have not only drastically altered the fabric of daily life in Egypt, but the world at large.
The stage was then graced by accomplished writers, each sharing unique insights. Mahbubur Rahman highlighted the importance of entertaining communication for writers.
The plot sheds light on a privileged modern experience where time stands still, stopping the clock as the days and nights roll and go.
Sanjana has killed her husband. She had not meant to kill him, but the odds never seem to be in her favour. Desperately trying to grasp the reality of her situation, she flees the crime scene, leaving her family, friends and life behind.
The craze that once prevailed in academia over postcolonialism no longer seems to hover around there anymore.
It was an intimate gathering of book lovers who had come together to listen to and participate in a discussion regarding a variety of topics, starting from her writing process to concepts of death explored in her stories, all stemming from deeply personal events in her life
In the last few years, there has been a paradigm shift in the traditional book fair culture. The commercialisation and curation of hyper nationalist books have led to the absence of literature and stories of “others”.
Cait Corrain's reviewbombing practices serve as a cautionary tale. As readers and writers engage with online book communities, the issue of transparency becomes more vital than ever
With only a few days to go, there’s still a chance to take the younger ones to the book fair and check out the wide range of books available
Most publishing companies in Bangladesh are not big enough for them to have a fully functioning marketing team or a viable marketing strategy.
A review of Ottessa Moshfegh's 'My Year of Rest and Relaxation' (Penguin Press, 2023)