BOOK REVIEW: FICTION / Lost in translation, looking for home

25 September 2026 • Books & Literature
I think what stayed with me most about R. F. Kuang’s Taipei Story was not its politics, its questions about diaspora, or even its fascination with a new language.

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.

‘We are the only species to have threatened life on the planet’: Dipesh Chakrabarty

Historian Dipesh Chakrabarty discusses human and geological evolution in an exclusive conversation with The Daily Star
6 March 2023

Kalai rutis, tamarind trees, and childhood adventures

I hurt my left knee quite seriously but was too afraid of my father to tell anyone about it. I thought the fault was mine, as though my injury was some kind of crime. So for several days I wore long dresses and kept my knee hidden from everyone even as the wound became infected and the bone began to show.
6 March 2023

Márquez told me people can fly sometimes

In celebration of Gabriel Garcia Márquez, born on this day, March 6, 1927.
6 March 2023

A new novel from Murakami after 6 years

The City and Its Uncertain Walls will be released on April 13.
5 March 2023

The significance of Dipesh Chakrabarty’s work with history

“The real history of this region is known in Dipesh Chakrabarty's history books,” said historian and essayist Professor Ahmed Kamal. 
5 March 2023

‘Daisy Jones & the Six’ adaptation hits all the right notes

The streaming adaptation retains the flash-forward tell-all interview framing device through an on-screen documentary.
4 March 2023

Journalist Rashel Mahmud publishes book after eight years

"The first book I had published comprised a short story. My second book of short stories came out 14 years after that", the writer said.
4 March 2023

'We dissented Pakistan as it ignored the rights of the people of our region'

Gyantapas Abdur Razzaq Foundation revisits the spirit of liberation in March.
4 March 2023

King of current affairs

You do not read Plath,/ Nor Milton./ Or Wordsworth./ Or Shakespeare. What do you read?/ Newspapers, current affairs,/ How to be great when you're good.
3 March 2023

The long dinner table

A daughter reflects on time and Bengali culture as she revels in the excitement of cooking her parents a meal.
3 March 2023

Chance encounter

Soundless on my flaking wall, you/ rest like a sniper in frigid fear,
3 March 2023

Ismat Chughtai and her stories of the unsayable

Chughtai spoke about taboo topics such as homosexuality, abortion, female desire, and their rights and independence.
3 March 2023

Pandit Boi Mela enriches the Brahmaputra river bank

"It is not just a book fair; it is a gathering of the people of this region."
2 March 2023

The world of Taylor Jenkins Reid—and why we love it

What makes Taylor Jenkins Reid this phenomenal, raging success that has the publication world frothing in the mouth and Hollywood throwing the big bucks at her?
2 March 2023

The ins and outs of banking, simplified

“I got the courage to start writing and felt that, if the market practices and regulations of a particular issue are in one place it may help the bankers, customers as well as students”, the author writes. 
2 March 2023

Poetry without name

Poet and researcher Emran Mahfuz's untitled poetry book Mukhoshpora Pathshala has been released in this year’s Amar Ekushey Book Fair.
27 February 2023

Kurigram’s Bhawaiya Bhaskar’s biography taught in Indian university

Barma told The Daily Star that he is a folk music artist listed by Bangladesh Radio and Bangladesh Television. He has sung more than a thousand Bhawaiya songs on radio and television.
27 February 2023

5 children’s books to find at Boi Mela this year

As a pioneer, the publishing house has ensured that the quality of their books is unparalleled; I was amazed by the colourful animations at this year’s Boi Mela.
26 February 2023

A guide to surviving Boi Mela in a saree

Hopefully more saree enthusiasts can enjoy their first trip to Ekushey Boi Mela.
25 February 2023

The native lores know

Language trickles down the routes that blood took through Time. They say it’s a linear path, and yet I, a reluctant servant to the wiles of Time, find myself laid out in loops and slopes.
24 February 2023
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