After a two-year disruption owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, the eighth edition of India’s first Bengali literary festival, Apeejay Bangla Sahitya Utsob (ABSU) curated by Oxford Bookstore, will begin tomorrow, November 25, and end on November 27. As always, the three-day festival will feature some
Wildflower is symbolic of the free spirit. Uncultivated by the mainstream, an independent thinker, bravely growing wild and free in a world plagued by conformity. Dr. Balaichand Mukhopadhyay chose the pen name ‘Bonophool’ (wildflower) when he commenced his journey as an author. A qualified pathologist
In the 19th century, women in India led a different life than women of the 20th century. Their lives differed from the contemporary men as well. Women belonging to every society had to face many hardships to get their minimum human rights, such as the
Titas Ekti Nodir Naam (1956) Written by: Advaita Mallabarman Publisher: Various Four surviving stories, and three novels. That is all that we have of Advaita Mallabarman (1914-51). And that is all that is needed to justify his reputation as one of the brightest stars of Bengali literature, a
He was the man who was known as Chand Kobi, a name that was given by none other than Rabindranath Tagore himself. But who was this poet who was loved by even Tagore? He was Nishikanto Roychowdhury. Born in 1909, he lost his mother at
Ever since an announcement made public by the Nobel website (nobelprize.org) brought to the fore that Tarashankar Bandopadhyay, arguably one of the most influential novelists of Bengali literature was nominated for the Nobel Prize in literature in 1971, a pall of gloom has descended on
When a street turns into a nostalgic journey for generations, a street that never sleeps, a street that harbours memories for centuries, then that street turns into the central theme of a book for sure. One such street that has intrinsically imbibed into the ethos
A young writer on the verge of publishing his first novel went to Sunil Gangopadhyay (or Ganguly if you like) with the manuscript, in hopes of constructive feedback. Having leafed through the book, Gangopadhyay reportedly said, “Goodness, what a complicated plot. Why not stick to
For the younger generation of Bengalis, the phrase ‘Baishe Srabon’ would probably mean the 2011 film by Srijit Mukherji. For their slightly older counterparts, it could also mean the 1960 film of the same name by Mrinal Sen. The origin of both titles, of course,
Once Madhusudan Majumdar, a famous publisher of Bengali books, decided to celebrate the birthday of a renowned author ceremoniously. Among the organizers were such stalwarts as Sailajananda Mukhopadhyay and Sajanikanta Das, eminent editor of Shanibarer Chithi. When they met the author to inform him about