Creative nonfiction / Growing up with a new nation: The Dhaka we once knew

On March 16, 2021, renowned writer Jharna Rahman was awarded the Ananya Shahittya Puroshkar 1427 for her remarkable contribution to the field of Bangla literature. The award ceremony was held at the Poet Sufia Kamal Auditorium in the Bangladesh National Museum, attended by chief guest Syed Manzoorul Islam and special guest writer-director Faridur Rahman. The ceremony was chaired by Tasmima Hossain, editor of Anannya and Daily Ittefaq.

The results of the essay competition organised by Gyantapas Abdur Razzak Foundation, conducted virtually through Zoom, were announced on April 5. Each of the winners has been awarded with certificates and cash prizes.

Sales are starting to look up at the Boi Mela compared to the beginning of the lockdown. More visitors, most wearing face masks, were seen at the book fair premises yesterday given the availability of public transport.

The New World, as started by Spanish and Portuguese authorities followed by the Dutch and the English, was built on the amputated bodies of countless indigenous and Black people.

As a lover of books and music, it is no surprise that I would pick up Anubhutir Abhidhan (Addhayan Prokashoni, 2021), a book of musings, stories, and poems written by Tahsan Khan— singer, songwriter, actor, teacher, and also a mentor to many in Bangladesh.

One year ago, I was tracking cases of a novel coronavirus as it was spreading all across the world. One year into the pandemic, COVID-19 needs no introduction.

Despite Klara and the Sun (Faber, 2021) coming out on my birthday, and soft science fiction being not only a genre I regularly read but write, I found myself with no real connection with the Nobel Prize-winning author’s latest work.

Reading has proven to be a popular habit for all ages during this pandemic. From hardcopies to ebooks to audiobooks, readers now have the opportunity, and time, to discover other genres and enjoy new titles. But if you’re looking for some entertainment that goes beyond reading, these book-related activities might help you stay occupied at home as we brace ourselves for a week of lockdown.

Written by Jubair Shawan and published by Kharimati Prokashani, the poetry collection Mrittu Amader Protibeshi (Death is Our Neighbour) was recently launched through a virtual programme. In addition to the author, the event was attended by artist Razib Datta, who designed the book’s cover art. Among other guests were poet and publisher Monirul Monir, documentary filmmaker and translator Ashfaqul Ashekin, Bengal Stories CEO Alamin Rumi, Surjeet Sarker, and Mahmuda Shwarna. The official unveiling of the book followed a discussion session with online viewers.

Around 30 stalls at the Ekushey Boi Mela were damaged by the strong winds and heavy rainfall last night.

As per government mandated instructions, the Ekushey Boi Mela opened at 12 pm today while the rest of the city observed a lockdown. No visitors were seen at the entrance for the first 45 minutes of opening.

Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) needs no introduction for us. As a polymath, he was the first non-European to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, in 1913.

And then it rained flowers, then it rained flowers emptying the trees.

The world grows dim and dimmer with feeble eyes. Youth turns into a broken wheelchair; Let’s walk through the desert together, you and I.

Because of the pandemic, this year FOSWAL went for an online conference in collaboration with the Sahitya Akademi. The 4-day long programme titled, “South Asian Online Literary Conference” took place between 15-18 March, 2021.

Having graduated from the University of Dhaka’s Faculty of Fine Arts, Sabyasachi Hazra’s work first gained momentum in 2005 and today, is a mainstay during the Ekushey Boi Mela.

Selected Poems on Love, Environment & Other Difficulties (Chitra Prokashani, 2020) is a collection of poems by the late Rafiq Azad, one of the most prolific poets of Bangladeshi literature, translated from Bangla by his son Ovinna Azad.

It’s party time in the animal kingdom. A turtle just happens to be in charge of making a birthday cake. He’s small and he’s slow but he has a plan. He started early because he knew speed wasn’t his strength.

One of 2020’s more positive highlights was Daisy Johnson’s stunning sophomore effort, Sisters (Riverhead Books). The novel, a Gothic-domestic drama, starts with siblings September and July in the backseat of a car, on their way to the “Settle House”.

The longlist for the prestigious 2021 International Booker Prize was announced on March 30, 2021. Nominees stem largely from Europe, with a few entries from South America, Africa, and Asia rounding out the list.