Making Hay In Dhaka

Photo: Palash Khan

The concluding day of the Hay Festival Dhaka 2012, at Bangla Academy, boasted everything under the sun -- from invigorating feminist performances to amusing quips about cricket; from a talk on publishing trends in South Asia to an interpretation of Syed Waliullah's classic, “Lal Shalu”; from launching of books by budding writers to readings by veterans.
Syed Samsul Haq and Vikram Seth recited their poems on the lawn. Meanwhile, Muhammad Zafar Iqbal charmed audiences with his views on science fiction as a literary genre.
The three-day extravaganza came to an end with Tagore's dance-drama “Shapmochon” and the soulful ballads of Lalon.