On Saturday, September 14, The Reading Circle hosted the launch of Ateet Theke Adhuna in the Dialogue Room of EMK Center. Ateet Theke Adhuna, published by Panjeree Publications Ltd., is a compilation of bios and sample writings of 65 Bengali/ Bangladeshi women.The book was a project undertaken by Gantha, a women writers group, to document well-known as well as unknown women writers from Bengal and Bangladesh.
The book has been edited by eight writers:AfrozaParveen,Jackie Kabir, Jharna Rahman, Marzia Rahman, Niaz Zaman, Nur Quamrun Nahar, Razia Sultana Khan, and Sauda Akhter. A total of 14 writers, including the editors, contributed to the book. The book includes women writers from Roquiah Khatun (1880 – 1932) toShaguftaSharmeen Tanya (born in 1977) and covers twelve decades of women’s writing.
The launch began with a minute of silence for two writers included in the book, Jahanara Noushin and Jowshan Ara Rahman, who passed away while the book was in the press, and NasreenKabir, a member of The Reading Circle and Gantha.
Niaz Zamanthen welcomed the audience and thanked the editors, the contributors and the writers – or their heirs — who gave permission for their writings to be included. She also thanked The Reading Circle for hosting the launch.
Letu Khan of Panjeree Publications Ltd. suggested that earlier women writers as well as other famous women writers from what is now West Bengal could have been included. He said that Panjeree would be happy to publish another volume.
Razia Sultana Khan spoke about the possibility of translating the book into English.
Jackie Kabir responded to Letu Khan and spoke about the beginnings of the project and how several writers the group wished to include were omitted because the volume would have been too big. It was therefore a conscious decision to limit the women writers to 65.
Other speakers included Jharna Rahman and Nigar Sultana.
Apart from the editors and writers, the launch was attended among others by Farida Hossain, an Ekushey Padak winner and one of the writers included in the book, Ekram Kabir, and Faheem Shahed Hossain. Books were distributed to the editors, contributors and writers who were present. The launch was followed by tea and snacks at The Ted
