Penguin Brings Forth an Anthology of Bengali Short Stories

The 'Penguin Book of Bengali Short Stories' presents over 30 translated tales, showcasing the depth and diversity of Bengali literature. Edited by Arunava Sinha, the anthology spans a wide range of themes, from classic ghost stories to explorations of social issues like caste and patriarchy. The stories are a testament to the richness and adaptability of the Bengali short story form.

Over 30 stories, including previously untranslated stories, are part of ''The Penguin Book of Bengali Short Stories'', the new anthology of Bengali literature in English.

The book, edited and translated by Arunava Sinha, is published by Penguin Random House India (PRHI).

It opens with a ghost story, ''Dead or Alive'', by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore and concludes with columnist and film critic Sangeeta Bandyopadhyay's ''Sahana or Shamim'' -- a visceral tale of a woman who eats fish behind the back of her vegetarian husband.

''While translating and editing this volume, I realised yet again just how deep, wide, and unique the literature of the Bengali-speaking world is,'' Sinha told PTI.

According to the publishers, the prose short story arrived in Bengal in the wake of British colonisers, and Bengali writers quickly made the form their own.

These stories covered land wars, famine, caste system, religious conflict, patriarchy, the Partition and the Liberation War that saw the emergence of the independent country of Bangladesh, the publishers informed.

''Across these shifting geographical borders, writers also looked inward, evolving new literary styles and stretching the possibilities of social realism, political fiction and intimate domestic tales,'' they added.

''The Philosopher's Stone'' (Parashuram), ''Pikoo's Diary'' (Satyajit Ray), ''Deceiver and Deception'' (Ashapurna Devi), ''Draupadi'' (Mahasweta Devi) and ''Prehistoric'' (Manik Bandyopadhyay) are among the stories part of the anthology.

The book, priced at Rs 1,250, is currently available for purchase across online and offline stores.

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