ULAB’s 6th Literary Salon Discusses the Local Publishing Scene

The 6th ULAB Literary Salon, organized by the Department of English and Humanities, ULAB, was held on November 12, 2023 to showcase a discussion on the current state and future trajectory of book publishing in both Bangla and English in Bangladesh. The subject addressed the very bedrock of literary, academic, and commercial publishing. There is an urgent need to address the gaps in the publishing trade and seek support in this crucial industry that underpins the very aspect of education, awareness, and literary growth, and contributes handsomely to the social development of Bangladesh.

To discuss these issues, the 6th ULAB Lit Salon brought together experts to discuss everything from urgent policy reorientation to practical necessities required to revive Bangladesh's underpowered publishing business. Mahrukh Mohiuddin, the Managing Director of The University Press Limited (UPL), and Professor Kaiser Haq, poet, academic, and advisor to ULAB Press, discussed these matters with author and editor Sudeep Chakravarti.

The Lit Salon is a literary platform in Dhaka that brings together writers, readers, publishers, and thought leaders from Bangladesh and elsewhere in South Asia in an informal, engaging setting. The ULAB Lit Salon offers Dhaka's literary minded an evening of book launches and discussions of leading authors, books, book signing, and sale of books.

Past Lit Salons have covered a wide range of genres and themes from poetry, short stories, and novels to the Partition and freedom of expression. It has hosted as speakers several prominent names, including Khushi Kabir, coordinator of Nijera Kori, Trustee of the Centre for Policy Dialogue and among Bangladesh's best-known advocates for human rights; noted academic, editor, and writer Professor Niaz Zaman; noted anthropologist and author Professor Sayeed Ferdous; Zafar Sobhan, Editor of Dhaka Tribune; Himanjali Sankar, Editorial Director of Simon and Schuster in India/South Asia; Prof. Rituparna Roy, founder-trustee of Kolkata Partition Museum, and Aanchal Malhotra, among South Asia's best known young writers on Partition.

The Lit Salon also hosted the Bangladesh launch of Cyber Mage, the globally acclaimed novel by Saad Z Hossain, which was published here by ULAB Press.

The event is open to all.