The To Be Read List: Books that I’ve found around Dhaka in English that need recognition but didn’t get a recent review. Authors in this list currently live in Bangladesh.
Author: Saad Z. Hossain
Saad Z. Hossain writes in a niche genre of fantasy, science fiction and black comedy which, on the balance of it, very few people actually want to read. Practical evidence aside, he has powered on in this direction. He studied English Lit and Commerce at the University of Virginia, a combination of studies completely impractical in real life. Due to the stunning unpopularity of his writing he has been forced to work in various industries. This includes digging holes, making rope, throwing parties and failing to run a restaurant. Needless to say, working for a living is highly overrated. He lives in Dhaka, the most ridiculously crowded city in the world, teaming with humans, wildlife, and djinn.
Note: Saad came to International School Dhaka for an author visit. The students loved him and the boys especially because he plays video games.
Titles:
Kundo Wakes Up, Published by A Tordotcom Book, ISBN: 9781250823922, Date: 2022.
While Gurkha introduced us to the techno utopia of Kathmandu, Kundo takes us to Hossain’s native Bangladesh, to the fading city of Chittagong, which is slowly crumbling into the sea as even Karma goes silent. But Kundo’s contemplation of his dying city is interrupted when his wife leaves him and then goes inexplicably missing, and soon Kundo starts to connect the dots between a number of disappearances.
Cyber Mage: a novel, Published by Unnamed Press, 2021, Published by ULAB Press, ISBN: 9789849581659, Date: 2022.
Welcome to Dhaka, Bangladesh in 2089. A city notorious for its extreme population density has found an unexpected way to not just survive a global climate apocalypse, but thrive: pump enough biological nanotech into the neighborhood and all of the bodies together form a self-sustaining, and even temperate, microclimate.
Djinn City, Published by Bengal Light Books, ISBN, 9789843430038, Date: 2017.
Indelbed is a lonely kid living in a crumbling mansion in the super dense, super chaotic third world capital of Bangladesh. When he learns that his dead mother was a djinn — more commonly known as a genie — and that his drunken loutish father is a sitting emissary to the djinns (i.e. a magician), his whole world is turned inside out.
Author: Shah Tazrian Ashrafi
Shah Tazrian Ashrafi is a writer from Dhaka, Bangladesh. An International Relations major, he is currently working on his first novel.
The Hippo Girl and other stories, Published by Hachette India, ISBN: 9789357313841, Date: 2024.
Written in lucid prose and engulfed in intense emotions, The Hippo Girl and Other Stories is a searingly honest collection about what it is to be human in a world where rage, violence, grief, and obsession are part of everyday life. Set in Bangladesh, each of these atmospheric stories digs deep and paints a complex and rich picture of people’s journey towards happiness.
Author: Harishankar Jaladas
Harishankar Jaladas is a Bangladeshi novelist. In recognition of his contribution to Bengali language and literature, the government of Bangladesh awarded him the country’s second highest civilian award Ekushey Padak in 2019.
Ramgolam, Published by Baatighar, ISBN: 9789848034255, Date: 2019.
Translated by Quazi Mostain Billah
In Ramgolam, it is depicted that the methars (sweepers) get no support from the society. Jaladas tries to see life from their perspective. Despite having the opportunity to agitate together for better working opportunities, the sweepers do not gel with each other for achieving a common goal.
HerStory Foundation: Publisher in Dhaka
HerStory Foundation empowers girls and youth through storytelling, awareness and capacity building. They not only publish books but generate in collaboration Sister Library Pink Shelf and other creative empowering initiatives in Dhaka.
Follow them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/herstorybd
Website: herstorybd.org
Recent Titles Published:
Flying Dhakites, colouring book: Author Katerina Don, Illustrator Farah Khandaker, Date 2024.
Everyday Stories by Sadia Sharmin, ISBN: 9789849660507, Date: 2022 Languages: English & Bengali
This book is a fictionalised account of the experiences of six young women from Dhaka’s Korail, the largest informal settlement in the country.
The Myth Bridge, edited by Saad Z. Hossain, Salzar Rahman, & Katerina Don, ISBN: 9789849702511, Date: 2022
The story of the rude awakening and editing of eight classic characters from German and Bengali lore. Bibi Ma, the goddess of Cholera; Bon Bibi, the bride of the Sundarbans; Chader Buri, the crone of the moon; Rapunzel, the bus driver; Queen Snow White, the power maniac; Frau Perchta, the ice CEO; Behula, the devoted, bearded wife; and Fox, the misunderstood trickster, are forced together on a journey to discover who they truly are.
Curator of the #BangladeshiLitMonth at Global Literature in Libraries Initiative:
Erin Wilson currently works as a Teacher Librarian at International School Dhaka, Bangladesh and has worked internationally for 10 years in the following countries; China, India, and now Bangladesh. She has vast experience working in diverse cultures from Native American students to inner-city students and the international community. Her other passion lies in studying Asian dances. Currently she is focused on Odissi classical dance, and uses this dance vocabulary for storytelling in the library to actively engage children. It’s never boring in the library.
You can follow the school where she works, International School Dhaka Instagram: @ isd_library
Opinions expressed in posts on this site are the individual author’s and are not indicative of the views of Global Literature in Libraries Initiative.
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