Star Literature

Star Literature

Climate fiction and the fictions we tell ourselves

There is an element of the unexpected in the twinning of fiction and ecology. A sense of unease of sorts exists in the pairing together of fiction, a form of narrative that is untrue, with the imminent ecological disaster, an environmental inevitability that is true.

6d ago

PTSD

Martyrs and-slash-or heroes they call us Is it worth all the fuss? While they celebrate We ache to recuperate

6d ago

I am found in fields

I am a god when I am asleep, I am found to be inside the shimmer of water as it fights against the brilliance of the screams that emanate from the sky

6d ago

The rebels of Madhusudan

Neeldhaja is the first Bangla poem to be written in the form of a letter; it places a female figure with a rebellious demeanor as the protagonist of a historical narrative.

6d ago

Like father, unlike son: Martin Amis’s place in literature

Perhaps Martin Amis’s works do not grab me for the most part because it veers too far away from the humanism of, say, Saul Bellow—a writer Martin greatly admires and has written about extensively.

5d ago

The dust storm

For iftar during that month we were served milk with rosewater which I found quite delicious, and gulab jamun served as dessert. When some girls didn’t want or didn’t finish their portions they would give it to me and I would accept happily.

1w ago

London cabs, jams and kinship

London, once the centre of the empire where the sun never set, dates back to prehistory with evidence of structures from Mesolithic times.

1w ago

Blissful-morning journey

The blissful-morning journey’s begun; it leads ahead to the light; The journey’s started in the twilight; setting out to the joyfulness; The auspicious rallies are all around; they’re processions of felicity; Man, your universe is now a stretch of a glorious millennium.

1w ago

Interview / ‘We are translators every day’: Arunava Sinha

You must read like a reader and not like an academic student. If the book you’re translating is a general book, it’s going to be read by readers. Intelligent readers perhaps, but readers nevertheless.

‘Time Shelter’ the first Bulgarian novel to win International Booker Prize

"The book is a profound work that deals with a very contemporary question: What happens to us when our memories disappear?", said judge Leila Slimani.

Mother's Day / On mothers and reading

I wonder at how these frugal, accessible pleasures define her daily existence and get elated with the fact that reading takes up a significant space on the shelf

Marooned

A dream of me in a sea of green.

3w ago

Padmavat: Under the lens of history, politics, and literature

Padmavat, a tale of a mythical queen featuring love, honour, and sacrifice, has captured the imagination of readers and audiences for centuries.

3w ago

What to make of the diversity in the International Booker shortlist

Several threads of commonality tie the books together just as their origins showcase their differences.

4w ago

Samaresh Majumdar—A rebel to look up to

In his novels, Samaresh Majumdar always made his characters walk against the current.

Foraying into Tagore’s short stories

It is important to set unconventional examples at the time that they are written; Tagore’s work did this.

Tagore’s 'Shesher Kobita': A timeless exploration of love and freedom

There are times I envy Labanya, sometimes I wish I could be as rebellious and as free-spirited as her; other times I feel empathy for her, it makes me believe and accept myself more as an individual

The Mandalorian

The Mando, having more pressing matters To protect the kid, no bounty, no task ordained To him. He loves its cooing, its soft forehead, Appealing spell cast by the marveled eyes.

An odd memory in Dhaka city

The only thing I like about this city is the thought of leaving it. And I was leaving it finally, after one and a half months, my longest stretch of stay in the last three years. Juggling my luggage with one hand and my phone with the other to get Google Maps directions while I balance myself on the rickshaw racing through bumpy Dhaka roads–it is a metaphor that sums up my life in this city.

So, ChatGPT can write? Ahem!

The correlation between writing and technology is as old as writing, for writing IS technology.  Technological advances such as papyrus, the printing press, the mechanical pencil, the fountain pen, and  the typewriter have complemented writing.

How you too can nearly, almost, probably become a Jedi Knight

At its core, 'Star Wars' is a classic tale of underdogs taking on a powerful enemy; it's a story of hope and perseverance, of standing up for what's right even when the odds are against you.