Essay / Celebrating literary minds: Reflections on editing festschrifts

26 September 2026 • Essay
“Festschrift” is a German word coined in the 19th century by combining ”fest”, meaning “celebration” or “festival,” with ”schrift”, meaning “writing” or “script,” to signify “celebration writing” or “festival publication.”

Literary Curtains / Patriarchy inversed: Reimagining Rokeya’s Ladyland in 2026

“Ladyland is not perfect,” remarks Sultana, one of the protagonists in the much awaited play, “Project Ladyland 2026”. Produced by HerStory Foundation in collaboration with the British Council and Women of the World Foundation, the play was greeted by a full house this weekend. Staged at the Bangladesh Mohila Samiti theatre, the performance made a splash on Friday, August 14.
Event Report / Special Discussion Marks Abul Hasnat’s Birth Anniversary: ‘Nabiner Shahittya: Shwapna O Shwapnabhongo’
19 July 2026
A special literary discussion titled ‘Nabiner Shahittya: Shwapna O Shwapnabhongo’ was held on Friday, July 17, 2026, at 5:00 P.M. on the third floor of Bengal Shilpalay in Dhanmondi, Dhaka. This discussion was organised to commemorate the birth anniversary of distinguished poet, essayist, and literary editor Abul Hasnat. The event brought together prominent writers and editors to discuss the literary pursuits of emerging authors and the pivotal role editors play in nurturing new literary voices.
News Report / Jamir Nazir wins 2026 Commonwealth Short Story Prize following AI review
3 July 2026
Set in rural Trinidad, “The Serpent in the Grove” explores themes of betrayal, survival and the resilience of a woman's will.

Rabindranath: Weaving Miracles and Magic in Melody

My first encounter with Rabindranath Tagore was on a cold winter’s day in early 1964. He was there as a sketch in pencil, on the mantelpiece of a Bengali home in Quetta. The flowing beard, the penetrating eyes, that sense of gravitas- all of this came alive in that sketch. I asked the host, a colleague of my father
17 May 2019

The Meal

Nishat prepares iftari, a sumptuous light meal that includes lemon sorbet, dates, fruits, nuts, begooni, samosa, beans and curd. It is the best part of fasting. But now that she is visiting Bangladesh in preparation for the upcoming Eid ul-Fitr, I manage things on my own at our new home, Dhahran.
17 May 2019

Human, All too Human!

For anyone harboring misgivings about Rabindranath Tagore but doing so with an open mind, as well as anyone who treasures his works but is realistic enough to know that though superhuman in some ways, he was human—all too human!—this is a must read book. Certainly, I found it unputdownable.
10 May 2019

From Gitabitan

There’s no end, why then the last word needs to be said. What strikes as a blow will become a flame; Once the clouds have their part, the rain has its start.. The light of my eyes, brings the world in my sight I’ll then have insight, when there’s no light The world out of reach comes alive in my mind And lights you up in its own light.
10 May 2019

Natir Puja: A Tale of Devotion and Sacrifice as Opposed to Jealousy and Tyranny

Quite a few of Rabindranath Tagore’s dance dramas and poems develop around the idea of Buddhist philosophy that induces people to lead a simple life, to gain an understanding of the injustice and inequality prevailing in society, and to acquire knowledge and develop a deeper insight about the universe.
10 May 2019

Dina Begum and her Brick Lane cookbook

For some reason, at least in England, Bangladeshi curry houses took everyone by storm in the ‘70s. And Dina Begum proves once more that it was largely because of the unique culinary prowess of the Bengali immigrants, attempting to escape the torment of the Liberation War.
6 May 2019
3 May 2019

In spirit

Wake up, girl! That song wasn’t sung for you. You’re not Snow White
3 May 2019

The Burden of Miracle in Poonachi: or the Story of a Black Goat

Perumal Murugan, the Tamil writer who rose to fame with self-declaration of his death as an author following protests by the Right wing against his writing, has resurrected with a forceful new novel, Poonachi.
3 May 2019

Empty buckets

Strolling through a concrete jungle
3 May 2019

What makes a writer successful?

That is a really interesting question, and before answering it, there is another question that needs to be considered: whose idea of success are we talking about? Because the truth is, that could be the determining factor in providing an answer to the question being posed.
3 May 2019

Truth, or Dare

After finishing college, I wanted to stay in the city a bit longer, to look for a job, read more books, hang out with my friends. But most importantly, I wanted to find out whether Daniel was ready to take the next step.
3 May 2019

Did Shakespeare Know He Was “Shakespeare”?

Did Shakespeare know he was “Shakespeare”? That is, even in his own day, did he know he was a cut above the ordinary when it came to writing dramatic poetry, that his language was, as a miner’s son would later put it, “so lovely! like the dyes from gas-tar”?
26 April 2019

Three Poems

Life is a bundle of mingled yarn
26 April 2019

~A Wish~

When my eyes dim
26 April 2019

Three Poems

Life is a bundle of mingled yarn
26 April 2019

Azfar Hussain’s Dorshonakkhyan: Materialist Philosophy

In Hegelian philosophy, the dialectical relation between appearance and reality is an important relationship. Marx brought this
26 April 2019

Grace

Gabriella is a 40-year-old obstetrician-gynaecologist from Australia, a godsend for the violated women spat out by the nine-month
26 April 2019

Romanticism and Gothicism through literature and arts

The second day of the event included the cultural competition, where students from five different universities presented their interpretations of Romanticism and Gothicism through poetry
24 April 2019

An Anchorite’s Call to Reread Tagore

Tagore is almost a century-old fixation with the Bengali-speaking world. A continual sprightly stream of books, writings and speeches
19 April 2019
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