Book Review: Nonfiction / The courage to speak: The life, ideas, and legacy of Ambassador M. Serajul Islam
25 August 2026
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Reviews
Ambassador Islam passionately believed that a nation of 180 million people should chart its own path, maintaining good but never subservient relationships with global powers. He was acutely aware of “our traits as a nation” but remained firm in his belief that the country could only thrive under Lincoln's doctrine of government “of the people, by the people, and for the people.”
Literary Curtains / Patriarchy inversed: Reimagining Rokeya’s Ladyland in 2026
23 August 2026
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Books & Literature
Book Review: Fiction / A novel of radical softness
20 August 2026
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Books & Literature
BOOK REVIEW: FICTION / Cooking up heat
20 August 2026
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Books & Literature
Event Report / In Transit: The Third Annual Slam Poetry at North South University
19 August 2026
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News
Essay / Poet Shamsur Rahman’s drama translation: Eugene O’Neill’s ‘Marco Millions’
15 August 2026
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Essay
Poetry / Coins in the wishing wells
15 August 2026
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Poetry
Poetry / Reminiscence of life
15 August 2026
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Poetry
News Report / P. Paramita’s ‘Appetite’ sells out on launch day at New York’s Strand Bookstore
13 August 2026
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News
Interview / In conversation with Sonia Bahl: Author of ‘Eighteen Inches Apart’
What becomes increasingly evident across Bahl’s three novels is her sustained fascination with the emotional significance of almosts and maybes.
News Report / Kazuo Ishiguro set to return with new novel in 2027
20 June 2026
Ishiguro’s novels have, over his 40-plus-year career, ranged from historical fiction to fantasy to science fiction.
Event Report / Dhaka Zine Mela 2026: A celebration of creativity and community
11 June 2026
On June 6 and 7, 2026, at Goethe-Institut, Dhanmondi, Zine Mela Dhaka 2026 was held, organised by Sister Library (Dhaka) and Colors Publishing. The two-day event brought together independent artists, writers, and creators to celebrate self-publishing, artistic expression, and community engagement.
The shelf / 7 Asian healing fiction recommendations for rainy days
18 June 2026
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The Shelf
You know when the sky trades its brightness for a low, silver hue, and you wrap your fingers tightly around your tea, seeking that small, steady pulse of warmth. This is the essence of healing fiction. Often rooted in the Japanese concept of iyashikei, these stories focus on the quiet spirit through small, everyday moments. You may have already heard of Days at the Morisaki Bookshop or We’ll Prescribe You a Cat. While those popular favourites have opened a door for many, there are a few other tales worth the read.
Reflections / In the age of AI allegations
13 June 2026
Fiction / Body Selim
18 April 2026
Nothing matters, but Albert Camus’s 'The Stranger' does
Because of Camus, I started to believe in the idea of relative truth and realised how differently people may weigh the different aspects and incidents which occur in their lives.
7 November 2022
Matthew Perry insults Keanu Reeves in new book
Canadian actor Keanu Reeves was as startled as the rest of the Internet by fellow actor Matthew Perry’s insults in his new memoir.
7 November 2022
Z-library banned, students in a frenzy
On November 4, domain names of Z-Library, the website which claimed to be the world’s largest ebook library, were seized by the US Department of Justice.
7 November 2022
Meursault, Sisyphus, and Happiness: What Albert Camus Tells Us About Life
Remembering Camus on his 109th birthday.
7 November 2022
Lawyers say plagiarism claims over ‘The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida’ are unfounded
On October 4, this year’s Booker Prize winning author Shehan Karunatilaka posted on his social media that a claim has been made by a “journalist from Colombo” that the idea for his novel, The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida was “stolen”.
6 November 2022
The special bond between bookshops and readers
For avid readers, bookshops hold a special place in their lives.
5 November 2022
The Black Door
A realm with a big black door,
I badly want to explore;
A signage with a flower of gold,
Worn out but not too old,
4 November 2022
Festival of Memories
Bulldozed brick by brick, my
childhood was torn apart by
tears streaming down the stone
facade as my house collapsed.
4 November 2022
“I also have Bengali blood in my veins”
It was November 18, 2017, when the Delhi-based Scottish historian William Dalrymple came to participate in the ‘Dhaka Lit Fest.’ Ridwan Akram spoke to the author of the books, White Mughals and The Last Mughal. This interview throws light on Mr. Dalrymple’s thoughts, writing, personal life, and Indian history.
4 November 2022
Weike Wang's ‘Joan Is Okay’ tells the story of an antisocial millennial
Joan has always felt not American enough for America and not Chinese enough for China. As a transnational immigrant, even her work ethic is assessed in a dehumanising way.
4 November 2022
Loneliness, and what I gained from a Creative Writing degree
The workshops were the sessions I’d look forward to. Someone actually reading your work, studying it, telling you what you do well, telling you what you can improve on, all phrased constructively (“I like this!” was a banned phrase). If you’re pursuing writing, workshopping—on some level or another—is what you’ll need.
4 November 2022
Life in modern Dhaka as portrayed in 'A Strange Coincidence and Other Stories'
The 11 short stories encompass a number of ideas, mainly the binary oppositions of the human psyche, all covering the inner conflicts of human life.
3 November 2022
NSU to host international conference: 'Ruptures and Resilience: English Studies in the Now'
Organisers told The Daily Star, “We expect this conference to be a grand event for showcasing theoretical ideas and cutting-edge research in the fields of literature, linguistics, and English teaching”.
3 November 2022
'Women and Work in South Asia' explores feminism through a South Asian lens
Anasua Basu Ray Chaudhary’s chapter on the trafficking of women, with a focus on India, Bangladesh, and Nepal, teases out the differences in the lived experiences of the Adivasi, Dalit, and other marginalised women.
3 November 2022
US judge says Penguin Random House book merger cannot go forward
In hearings held in August, the government argued that the largest five publishers control 90% of the market, and a combined Penguin and Simon & Schuster would control nearly half of the market for publishing rights to blockbuster books while its nearest competitors would be less than half its size.
2 November 2022
‘A platform for erasing the cancelling of the other’: ULAB’s Inter-University Student Conference
The 2022 Inter-University Student Conference and Cultural Competition explored different facets of conflict and avenues for conflict resolution on topics within literature, language, linguistics, cultural studies, communication studies, translation studies, and digital humanities.
2 November 2022
On Literary Matters: Cultural Representation through Translation
The 5th session of "Literary Matters" focuses on literary translation in Bangladesh.
2 November 2022
In praise of Enola Holmes, and the women in mystery who save themselves
Nancy Drew always knows how to save herself and others from seemingly hopeless situations. For instance, she uses specific techniques to free herself from ropes, sends SOS signals with a tube of lipstick, and uses spike heels to break out windows. Her blue convertible car is a symbol of radical feminine freedom.
2 November 2022
The Hour Before Fajr
A story recounting a mysterious phenomenon.
31 October 2022
Spooky October reads for Halloween
Rahman’s central character Mumin, a teacher of Islamic studies in a district high school is summoned by the headmistress to help liberate her young daughter from an apparent demonic possession.
31 October 2022
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