DLF 2023

This presentation of Buddhist Sutras in the ancient Pali language is in fact a quintessentially Bangladeshi practice. A meditative start to the festival.

The world has always been torn apart by the greed of the powerful and the fears of the powerless. Alongside such ancient anomies the world is torn asunder by new and nihilistic ideologies and social trends, including social media, that seems to perpetuate them. In this ever more fragmented world, not only can the center seemingly not hold, there seems to be no center anymore. One might expect that to lead to less hierarchical or more inclusive formations. But anecdotal reports suggest the opposite: the times are one of high anxiety.

50 Years of Liberation: Bangladesh in the Light of our Golden Jubilee

গত বছর নানা কর্মসূচির মধ্য দিয়ে উদযাপন করা হয়েছে মুক্তিযুদ্ধের ৫০ বছর। যা একটি স্বাধীন-সার্বভৌম রাষ্ট্রের জন্য অত্যন্ত গৌরবের। মৌলবাদ ও স্বৈরতন্ত্রের প্রত্যক্ষ-পরোক্ষ প্রভাবের বাইরে বাংলাদেশ মুক্তিযুদ্ধের চেতনায় সমুন্নত। এই অর্জনের পেছনে রয়েছে মুক্তিকামী মানুষের দীর্ঘ লড়াই-সংগ্রাম। আগামীর বাংলাদেশের কি সাংস্কৃতিক ঐতিহ্যের দেশ হিসেবে মুক্তিযুদ্ধের চেতনায় মাথা তুলে দাঁড়াতে পারবে?

Established by the Gemcon Group in 2000, the Gemcon Shahitya Puroshkar or Literary Award is presented in two categories. The primary award, for eight lac taka, is presented to the writer of an exceptional work of great creative merit published in Bangladesh within the previous one year. The second award, the Gemcon Tarun Shahitya Puroshkar is a youth prize and is presented in two parts, each worth one lac taka, to one young writer and one young poet. In addition to the prize, the winners' manuscripts are published by Kagoj Prokashon.

In this session, Everything Change, 'coined' by Margaret Atwood to describe the actual effects of the climate crisis, is a series of interdisciplinary events which explore how creativity, adaptive thinking and storytelling can help us meet the challenges of the climate crisis. Emerging from a partnership between Swansea University and Dhaka Lit Fest, and led by Owen Sheers, Professor of Creativity, Swansea University in partnership with Sadaf Saaz, Dhaka Lit Fest, and Simon Oates, Director of the Taliesin Arts Centre, and supported by the British Council Global Fund - six writers and poets, three from Bangladesh and three from the UK - took part in a process of creating creative work around this issue. This session showcases the process and discusses the three original pieces of work that emerged from the Bangladeshi writers - The Final Frontier by Kaiser Haq, The Last CEO by Saad Z Hossain, and Love in the Time of Composting by Abeer Y. Hoque.

A panel featuring four publishers whose passion is printing books. By deciding what we find in the bookshops, they play a part in guiding and shaping our tastes. To the reader, it is intriguing how they choose their titles and the factors they consider that go beyond the commercial viability of a book. How do they see the role of publishers in an increasingly polarised world? Also, does climate change advocate a renewed approach to ditching printed books in favour of e-books?

Bhashwar Banerjee and friends present T.S. Eliot's Waste Land. Translated by Mohammed Nurul Huda

With a new twist to the well known incident of the Bhawal Sanyasi case, Professor Aruna Chakravarti, while maintaining factual accuracy, rewrites the history by giving a voice to the women of the era which was neither addressed, nor written about before. A recipient of the prestigious Sahitya Akademi award, along with others, she is well known for her own works, and an extensive repertoire of translations that include the works of Tagore. The Mendicant Prince, thoroughly researched and analyzed during the confinement of the pandemic, was published in 2022. In conversation with M K Aaref, founding director of the EMK Center in Bangladesh.

Witness a screening of Moshari, the first Oscar qualifying film in Bangladesh history, executive produced by Academy Award winners Jordan Peele and Riz Ahmed. Followed by an open discussion with writer/director Nuhash Humayun on the growing significance of South Asian horror and tapping into collective Bengali trauma in genre cinema. Moderated by Aporajita Mustafa.

The second volume of economist Rehman Sobhan’s memoirs traces one of the most painful periods of Bangladesh’s history: 1972-1975. From Dawn to Darkness is the story of the turbulence that follows revolutionary time, as the architects of the liberation get down to the work of nation-building. Sobhan’s vantage point as a member of the Bangladesh Planning Commission gets us inside the room, offering intimate portraits of foundational figures and revealing history as a study of personalities. Though the day may be darkest at the book’s conclusion as the tragic 1975 coup drives Sobhan into exile, there are lessons here for current idealists and applications for today’s political challenges. In conversation with economist Syed Akhtar Mahmood.

Across cultures women have often been custodians of the unofficial histories that define lives as decisively as the great commotion of public events. And, of course, the two are deeply interlinked. Esther Freud, Sarvat Hasin and debut author Iffat Nawaz, have all written works of great acuity exploring the truths that lie in these different domains and in their interstices. Moderated by writer Abeer Hoque.

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's Bangladesh: Dream of the Future

হাজার বছরের শ্রেষ্ঠ বাঙালি জাতির জনক বঙ্গবন্ধু শেখ মুজিবুর রহমানের বাংলাদেশ এখন বিশ্বের কাছে সক্ষমতার প্রতীক হিসেবে চিহ্নিত। পদ্মাসেতু, সমুদ্রের তলদেশে টানেল এবং মেট্রোরেল-সহ যোগাযোগের নানামুখী সাফল্য বাংলাদেশকে গড়ে তুলেছে দ্রুত অর্থনৈতিক প্রবৃদ্ধির সম্ভাবনাময় দেশ হিসেবে। উন্নত বিশ্বের সঙ্গে তাল মিলেয়ে সর্বক্ষেত্রে ডিজিটাল ব্যবস্থা সম্পন্ন হতে চলেছে। এর সুফল পাচ্ছে আপামর সাধারণ মানুষ। বাংলাদেশ নামের সঙ্গে এখন আর নেই ক্ষুধা, দারিদ্র্য, বন্যাকবলিত শব্দগুলো, বরং যুক্ত হয়েছে স্বনির্ভরতা। স্বপ্নের আগামীতে কি ধর্মনিরপেক্ষ সাংস্কৃতিক দেশের প্রতীকে দেখতে পাবো বাংলাদেশকে?

The Babuibela series, written and illustrated by artist Reesham Shahab Tirtho, are picture books showing new parents’ journey with their little ones. This session launches the third book of the series with a discussion between illustrator Tirtho and artist and author Shibu Kumer Shill.

The Street is Not a Home was co-created with children who have survived on the streets of Dhaka. An illustrated collection of stories for ages 9+, it narrates the tales of four children. In this session, author Mike Sherriff and former street children from LEEDO Peace Home will read a story from the collection in English and Bangla, sing songs, and perform a street drama.

The panel will introduce the new book The Great Padma: The River that Made the Bengal Delta, and discuss the mighty river as an existential phenomenon in the life of Bengal. Drawing us to the ancient reservoir of our existence, the Padma remains the very theater of the creation of land and life in Bengal/Bangladesh. A major research and scholarly undertaking, The Great Padma is the first comprehensive work that reveals the turbulent magnificence of the great river. Edited by Kazi Khaleed Ashraf, with a preface by Amitav Ghosh, historians, geographers, anthropologists, architects, photographers, and people from other cultural disciplines were assembled for the first time to tell the epic story of the Padma.

Short Stories, Big Ideas

ছোটগল্পকে বলা হয় মনস্তাত্ত্বিক খেলা। স্বল্প পরিসরের মধ্যে লেখক তার গল্পের বিষয়, চরিত্র ও শৈলীর অতুলনীয় সমন্বয় ঘটান। কিন্তু কখনো কখনো ছোটগল্প হয়ে ওঠে সাধারণের কাছে দুর্বোধ্য, যেন প্রতীকী কবিতা। বৃহৎ চিন্তাকে কীভাবে একজন লেখক অনুভূতির সেই সৌন্দর্যে স্বপ্নায়তনে গড়ে তোলেন ছোটগল্প ?

Stories of our Lives বাংলাদেশের জনপ্রিয় লেখক, চিত্রনাট্যকার, চলচ্চিত্র নির্মাতা এবং ঔপন্যাসিক সাদাত হোসেন এই প্রজন্মের গল্পকার। নীল হুররজাহানের সাথে তিনি আমাদের শোনাবেন জীবনের গল্প, গল্পের জীবন।

In the fight for women’s equality, is there ever a good moment to rest on your laurels? In the current scenario—with US women’s reproductive rights up in flames, the alarming rise of men’s movements in countries across the West, women in Afghanistan and Iran battling violent, misogynist states, etc.—there is no safe space for our sisters in resistance, East or West. As the next generation of activists strategize next moves, what can those who came earlier teach us about men’s allyship, anger, community building, and self-care? In this panel, veterans of Malaysia’s women’s movements Masjaliza Hamzah and Ivy Josiah compare notes with Naripokkho founder Shireen Huq, who has been at the frontlines of Bangladeshi feminism for four decades, and feminist scholar Elora Shehabuddin. Seuty Sabur moderates.

Translation is no more the genre we talk about on the margins of literature. It has claimed its rightful place by bringing gems of vernacular literatures from around the globe to our attention. It has opened new doors to discussions of utmost literary significance. How are fiction and poetry from Bangladesh faring in the age of translation? And what role can literary anthologies play in ensuring better representation for Bangladeshi literature? Rifat Munim's Bangladesh: A Literary Journey Through 50 Short Stories and Alam Khorshed's Arise out of the Lock: 50 Bangladeshi Women Poets in English are examples of translated works across genres. Writers and translators Fakrul Alam, Rifat Munim and Aruna Chakravarti discuss with Alam Khorshed the intricacies of translating across genres and the role of literary anthologies in expanding the reach of Bangladeshi literature.

Sir Fazle Hasan Abed has been described the most influential man most people have never heard of, outside of international development circles. Founding BRAC in the aftermath of Bangladesh’s independence, Sir Fazle and BRAC have been at the cutting edge of anti-poverty and development work in Bangladesh and globally ever since. Hope Over Fate is not only the biography of the man but the biography of an idea—the idea that hope itself has the power to overcome poverty. This is the story of a man who lived a life of complexity, blemishes and all, driven by the conviction that in the dominion of human lives, hope will ultimately triumph over fate. Hope Over Fate author Scott MacMillan and BRAC directors Tamara Hasan Abed, Shameran Abed, and Asif Saleh are in conversation with Sadaf Saaz.

Poetry in a Virtual Age?

একসময় লিটলম্যাগ, সাময়িকী বা সংবাদপত্রের সাহিত্যপাতা ছিল সৃজনশীল সাহিত্য প্রকাশের স্থান। এই মাধ্যমগুলোয় লিখে অনেকে হয়েছেন খ্যাতিমান লেখক এবং সম্পাদনা করে খ্যাতিমান সম্পাদক। এটাই ছিল সাহিত্যচর্চার ধারা। কিন্তু ভার্চুয়াল সময়ে প্রত্যেকের হাতে যখন স্মার্ট ফোন, ফেসবুক ও ইউটিউব, টুইটার- তখন কি সম্পাদকের প্রয়োজনীয়তা লুপ্ত হয়ে যায়? ভার্চুয়াল মাধ্যমের লেখা ও লেখকের সম্ভাবনা কতখানি?

Jatra performance of Debi Sultana

Pett Kata Shaw is a supernatural anthology film exploring South Asian folklore and superstition—while also reinventing it. Nefarious jinns, fish-hungry wenches, sympathetic sirens as well as musings on the very origin of stories themselves—Pett Kata Shaw reinvigorates ancient South Asian folk tales and makes sure these dark stories stay undead.

Bangla Thriller: From Page to Screen

মাসুদ রানা-দস্যু বনহুর যুগের পর আবার নতুন করে ঢেউ লেগছে থ্রিলার সাহিত্যে। বিপুল পাঠক নতুন যুগের থ্রিলারে আবিষ্ট। তবে তা এখন আর নেই শুধুমাত্র বইয়ের পাতায়, কল্পনার চরিত্র এখন বাস্তবের মতো জীবন্ত।

What does it mean for the youth to feel unrestricted in their expressions, in their art, in their experiences? On the theme of ‘Unrestricted’, SHOUT x DS Books present Slam Poetry at DLF where youth from across the country display their love for poetry and performance, and speak about issues that they feel passionately about. Moderated by Sarah Anjum Bari, DS Books and Azmin Azran, SHOUT.

The students of Bengal Parampara Sangeetalay present the Bengal Classical Music Recital at Dhaka Lit Fest 2023, on the same stage as one of the Gurus of Bengal Parampara Sangeetalay, Pandit Uday Bhawalkar, who will be accompanied on the pakhawaj by Pratap Awad.

Globalization of Bengali Poetry

রবীন্দ্রনাথের পরে বাংলা কবিতা ভিন্ন ভিন্ন ভাষায় অনুবাদের চর্চা হয়নি। আমাদের জানামতে ক্লিনটন বি সীলি শিকাগোতে জীবনানন্দ চর্চা শুরু করেছিলেন, নব্বই দশকে। সমকালে বিদেশের আকাদামিয়ায় আগ্রহ বাড়াতে রাষ্ট্রের বা আমাদের কী করা উচিৎ। Selected Poems প্রকাশিত হয়েছে অনেকেরই সেটা স্থানিক পর্যায় পর্যন্ত সীমিত।

Mejbaur Rahman Sumon in conversation with Anis Pervez 

Performance by Shibu Kumer Shill, Emon Chowdhury and Arfan Mredha Shiblu

When it comes to inclusive development, Bangladesh never shies away from the moonshot. From Digital Bangladesh, we set our sights now on Smart Bangladesh—envisioning innovations that transform the lives of students, women, entrepreneurs, rural communities, and the way we operate our government. In public health, poverty and lack of resources drive the need for new and local approaches to advancing health and research equity. In this DLF Innovation Talk, join Bangladesh’s ICT minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak and Director of Child Health Research Foundation Dr. Senjuti Saha discuss success stories and ongoing challenges, and how to ensure innovation for the many, not just the few.

In Crystal Pottebaum's book, Pass it to Rizwana, three girls in Dhaka find a strange object that changes their lives forever: a deflated basketball. The friends overcome barriers and challenges to become champions for girls who want to play sports. In this session, Pottebaum will read from her book (ages 12+) and three pioneering Bangladeshi women in sports will share their personal journeys: Deshi Ballers co-founder Ashreen Mridha, former national team footballer Zaya Chakma, and Bangladesh's first women to scale Mount Everest, Nishat Majumder. Salzar Rahman moderates.

Tilmund wants to travel the world, just like his adventurous grandfather. There is only one problem - he has a great fear of the strange and unknown. But with a little help from a travel bug, Tilmund finally finds the courage he needs to pack his bags and go off! Join Tilmund as he visits wonderful faraway places, learning so much along the way, in this storytelling session by author Samai Haider on her illustrated book.

In Asma Ul Hasna Sanchita's "I am Bokul", while serving customers at the tea shop where he works, Bokul overhears their discontent with refugees arriving in their town. He can't help but feel the same way until one day at the beach, he meets some boys from the refugee camp. Their kind gesture and his grandmother's wisdom helps Bokul embrace a more compassionate outlook.

The Narrative of the Future

ভিজ্যুয়াল জামানায় আখ্যান বিশেষ করে উপন্যাসের পাঠকের কি মৃত্যু ঘটবে? প্রেম ও প্রার্থনার গল্প, আজগুবি রাত, নূরজাহান কিংবা যাবজ্জীবন পাঠের পরিবর্তে এই গল্পগুলো উপন্যাস, ওটিটি প্লাটফর্মে দেখানো হয় যদি, মাধ্যমগত পার্থক্যের সঙ্গে সঙ্গে আর্টফর্মের এই যে পরিবর্তন । এতে আপনারা কেমনভাবে দেখছেন? আগামীর আখ্যান কেমন হবে।

Bangladesh holds a mythic place in Amitav Ghosh’s writing. His second novel, The Shadow Lines, places Dhaka and events leading up to Bangladesh’s emergence in a constellation of intersecting stories, cities, and lives. His fourth, The Hungry Tide, is an epic tale of our current climate crisis, local history and folklore set amid that meeting of many rivers, the Sundarbans, which functions as a roundabout for the characters’ lives. Danger and beauty coexist among immense diversity and constant change, and choices made can have untold consequences. Ghosh’s radical empathy extends not only to humanity but to the wilderness itself. How can civilization carry on without tenderness for the natural world that sustains us? And, as writers, how do we raise our fictional practices to meet the challenge of looming ecological disaster? With Sadaf Saaz.

Sufi Influence on Persian and Bengali Literature

দ্বাদশ শতক থেকে পারস্য বা সিল্করুট ধরে সুফিবাদী দর্শন ধর্ম বর্ণ নির্বিশেষে প্রভাব ফেলেছে ভারতবর্ষে। একই সঙ্গে বেড়ে ওঠা বৈষ্ণব দর্শন- একাকার হয়ে নতুন এক সাম্যবাদী ঘারানার সৃষ্টি করেছে। যার প্রভাব বাংলা সাহিত্যে প্রবল। সাহিত্য ছাড়িয়ে সমাজে ও মানুষের যাপনে পরিলক্ষিত।

Journalism Under Pressure

সংবাদমাধ্যমকে বলা হয় সমাজের আয়না। এতে সমাজের নানা সংগতি-অসংগতির চিত্র ধরা পড়ে সহজেই। সংবাদমাধ্যমের স্বাধীনতার উপর নির্ভর করে একটি রাষ্ট্রের গণতান্ত্রিক যাত্রার অগ্রগতি। রাষ্ট্র যদি সংবাদমাধ্যমের কণ্ঠরোধ করতে চায় তখনই বোঝা যায় রাষ্ট্র আর জনকল্যাণমুখী নেই। বাংলাদেশের সংবাদমাধ্যম কি স্বাধীন? সাংবাদিকরা কি সবসময় সঠিক তথ্য প্রকাশ করতে পারে?

Two slum kids sneak into a posh gated community to steal the world’s largest jackfruit. When their getaway is blocked by a hole too small for the fruit, they are forced to try and sell it to the eccentric residents while running away from the bumbling guards. What started as a simple heist turns into an adventure that tests their friendship. Kathal is a dash of Little Prince meets The Little Rascals, guaranteeing a fun ride for children and adults alike. Followed by a brief Q&A with the director Amit Ashraf moderated by Shams Jaber.

South and East Asian Influences on Bengali Literature

ঔপনিবেশিক আমলে ঔপনিবেশের সাহিত্যচর্চা ছিল মননে ও মগজে। নব্বই দশকে থেকে লাতিন আমেরিকার সাহিত্যে সঠিক-বেঠিক চর্চা চলছে বাংলায়। কিছুটা আফ্রিকার দিকে দয়াপরবশ বাঙালির দৃষ্টি বা চর্চা ছিল। দক্ষিণ ও পূর্ব এশিয়ার এত এত ভাষার সাহিত্য যার কিচিৎও দেখা যায় না অনুবাদ সাহিত্যে। এই পক্ষপাতের কারণ কী?

Some of the great science breakthroughs in recent years have been led by women, the culmination of major efforts by individuals and institutions to overcome societal and cultural barriers to girls’ science education and increase their representation. In Bangladesh, a cohort of changemakers have emerged who are committed to creating an ecosystem that enables women scientists to forge their own futures and thrive. Two of our homegrown science heroes, experimental physicist Yasmeen Haque and jute gene decoder Haseena Khan join Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine team leader Sarah Gilbert to share stories from their labs, thoughts on advocacy and representation, and what’s next for public science education and the future of scientific research and innovation. They are in conversation with microbiologist and science advocate Senjuti Saha.

The Bangladesh women's national football team made the country proud when they clinched the SAFF Women's Championship 2022 in Nepal last year undefeated. Hear from our favourite women footballers on their journey, alongside their coaches and chairman of the Bangladesh Football Federation women's committee Mahfuza Akhter Kiron. Moderated by women's underground footballer Saveem Shama.

Elizabeth D. Costa's Bangla Surf Girls is a film on three rebellious working-class teenage girls in Bangladesh who escape daily hardship and stifling family lives by riding the waves with their surfboards. Chasing a fleeting and thrilling sense of freedom, the young girls join a local surf club and dare to dream of a life free from drudgery and abuse.

Multimedia Puppet Theatre presents a dramatic rendition of poet Kazi Nazrul Islam's poem Lichuchor (Lychee Thief) directed by Mustafa Monwar.

Paro Anand in a storytelling performance of her book. Set against the backdrop of Indira Gandhi's assassination, Being Gandhi forces the reader to dig deep to find their inner Mahatma Gandhi.

On the delta, the river rules. Waterways have always been integral to development. The flow of water has carved the blueprints of this land's cities and villages for millennia. But in the last 70 years, a more aggressive form of development has taken over. When did water become the enemy? How do we reintroduce waterways into building philosophy? How do we reintegrate the river and civilisation? The buildings initiated by Friendship NGO and designed by architect Kashef Mahboob Chowdhury are exemplary of an architecture that serves society with radical simplicity and poetry—while speaking the language of the river. Kashef and Friendship founder Runa Khan will be in conversation with Swiss architect Niklaus Graber about how the built environment can respect or disrespect the nature of the delta—and how this impacts communities.

Pen: The path to liberation is the freedom to write

পেন বিশ্বব্যাপী মতপ্রকাশের স্বাধীনতা নিয়ে কাজ করার একটি বড় প্লাটফর্ম। নানা দেশে জেলখানায় বন্দি লেখকদের মুক্তি এবং অনিরাপদ দেশ থেকে উদ্ধারে বিরাট ভূমিকা পালন করে। বাংলাদেশ পেন লেখকদের মত প্রকাশের স্বাধীনতায় কতখানি ভূমিকা রাখছে?

Censorship used to be seen as a form of proscription imposed by the state or by religious authorities. With the rise of Political Correctness, a new kind of protectiveness arose that both challenged forms of discrimination and belittling – and ultimately, power plays – that took a toll with a thousand cuts but also paved the way to a new kind of restrictiveness. The matter has now intensified with the so-called Cancel Culture. When authors are effectively banned from certain venues or events is that advancing the cause of anti-discrimination or fostering a new kind of censorship? Sarah Churchwell, Nilanjana Roy, and Vivek Menezes take a sweeping view of the issue across cultures. Moderated by Ranbir Sidhu.

Tokai, Nonte-Fonte, Potla-Kebla or Basic Ali… these names have two things in common: they are all names of famous Bangla comics strips that have illustrated the pages of Bengali newspapers from the early 70s to the late 2000s and they are all drawn by men. From early 2017, however, a wave of change has been spotted as the Cartoon People comics community started featuring more and more Bangla comic strips online created by women. Fast forward five years now, names like Peu Draws, TUBE-light, EEha-toonz or Tiborai er cartoon are names of female comic strip characters popular among youth, drawn by women and available in print and on our smartphones. Come join us at a session where we get to know these brilliant young women and hear about their journey in drawing stories.

For Rohingya refugees in the Cox’s Bazar camps, art is an act of healing. Exiled from their homeland where they were denied education, opportunity, and personhood on the basis of their identity and now facing uncertain futures in Bangladesh, the young poets and artists of the Rohingya cultural renaissance write and paint to establish selfhood and belonging. As youth and women, they also fight to transcend their community’s conservatism and cultural status quo, carving out space for alternate voices. In this panel, Rohingya poets Shahida Win and Abdullah Habib are joined by artist Ayala Akter in a conversation about identity, individuality, and creating hopes for a future in face of a system trying to silence them. Moderated by Shahirah Majumdar, former manager of the Rohingya Cultural Memory Centre in Cox's Bazar.

Nuruddin Farah, one of the preeminent literary voices from Africa, has chronicled the troubled history of his native Somalia over four decades of dazzling fictional creations. Farah's works, until very recently, were always set in Somalia even as he himself was forced to live in exile through much of that time. Even as he captured the great ravages suffered by his people through civil war and other crises, he also held up human realities that go well beyond the reductive images of news clips. Full of verve, honesty and artistry, Farah is a great exponent not only of a tragic part of Africa but the form of contemporary fiction. Farah is in conversation with K Anis Ahmed.

The agent has become an essential figure in the world of arts, from acting to writing. The agent's duties can range from finding new talent, helping germinate ideas, polishing scripts, negotiating contracts to handling promotion, and in many instances, reportedly, doubling up as anything from a psychotherapist to a parole officer for select clients. Why can't the talent deal directly with the publisher or the production house? What difference does a good agent make for the client and what should they be aware of about both the literary and film world as they get reshaped by forces ranging from mega-mergers to digital overdrive?

Bangla is the seventh largest language in the world and for 35 million Bangla speaking people around the world, Dhaka could be the capital of Bangla content in the next five years. But are producers, actors, directors, or technicians ready for the tsunami?

Baganiya: Garden of Memories, filmed over a course of a few months in Bangladesh’s remote tea fields, documents the incredible lives of three labourers. Through the lives of Padmoluv Bunarjee, Sojoy Yadav and Chandan, Humaira Bilkis weaves a tale of people whose lives are still governed by the framework of the colonial rules, continuing to operate in the tea industry through unappreciated work and exploitation.

A picture is worth a thousand words A big nose. Long Hair. School uniform. A discussion between three artists on how they imagine and draw characters within or from stories. What choices do they make to capture lifelines, personalities, and expressions? With portraitist Josh Steinbaur (Portrait of a Book report), painter Sandro Kopp (portraits of Simone in French Dispatch), and Tanmoy (Rohingya graphic storytelling). In conversation with Katerina Don.

Armeen Musa, singer-songwriter and music director, will perform her set of original music and poetry. Currently on her first tour post pandemic, Armeen is set to release her new single “Back for me” which she will premiere at the Dhaka Lit Fest stage. Performing with her are Anik, Raj and Rushdi.

Blazing Ahead brings together two boundary-breaking women to share their amazing stories of overcoming the odds, and the work they do to catalyse others. Onjali Rauf found her voice writing characters that fight stereotypes by centering the stories of underrepresented children. Through her anti-trafficking charity Making HerStory, she creates safe spaces for survivors of sexual abuse and violence. MasterChef runner up Kishwar Chowdhury has defied expectations with her acclaimed, modern renditions of Bangladeshi comfort food, and continues to break exciting ground for women in the food world. Moderated by writer Munize Manzur.

Quantum computing is a game changer and a paradox It harnesses the phenomena of quantum mechanics but the latter itself is mysterious, making quantum computing even more so. Join Belal Ehsan Baaquie unveiling the mysterious world of quantum computing and exploring the unlimited possibilities it is creating for humanity along with its paradoxes.

আকাশ সংস্কৃতির এই সময়ে উপন্যাসের পাঠক কী হুমকির মুখে? দুই শতকের এই মাধ্যমের ভিত কী নড়ে উঠেছে, নাকি নতুন পথ তৈরি করছে ওটিটি। ভবিষ্যতের কথাসাহিত্য কেমন হওয়া উচিৎ। আগস্ট আবছায়া বা আলতুসারের ভাষা একটু পাঠকের কাছে কঠিন নয় কি ? আখ্যানের ভিতর ঢুকে পড়ার যে মহাকাব্যিক ব্যাপ্তির খেলা খেলছেন, সেখানে পরিমাণে উপন্যাসগুলো ছোট মনে হয়।

Debut short film by Tasmiah Afrin Mou exploring the psychological journey of a woman named Rubi whose ability to feel grief, remorse, and loneliness is in question as she fails to evoke regretful feelings after her husband’s death.

Directed by Tasmiah Afrin Mou, Heroine’s One Night is a short film that deals with the anxiety and stress that actors and actresses face in maintaining appearances, fame, and future.   

As China and Russia put the prevailing rules-based world order to the test, the world feels ever closer to a conflagration. Even internally, countries are more riven by old discontents, like inequality, and new tech-fueled rebellions. Many countries are slipping back to more authoritarian ways. Economies seem one breath away from meltdown. Is the world really on the brink? Or is that kind of feeling partly a function of people being plugged into 24/7 news cycles and divisive echo-chambers?

This children's storytelling session presents authors Shazia Omar and Maria Chaudhuri. Shazia will read from her book Sun Moon Secret that encourages kids to explore their inner powers. Maria Chaudhuri will read Nobo Opens A Door, in which we are introduced to Nobo—a fiery child who averts disaster at her school’s Pohela Boishakh festival with an imaginative twist on the traditional shari. Children will then get the opportunity to reimagine themselves by creating their own cape, just as Nobo does!

This children's storytelling session presents authors Shazia Omar and Maria Chaudhuri. Shazia will read from her book Sun Moon Secret that encourages kids to explore their inner powers. Maria Chaudhuri will read Nobo Opens A Door, in which we are introduced to Nobo—a fiery child who averts disaster at her school’s Pohela Boishakh festival with an imaginative twist on the traditional shari. Children will then get the opportunity to reimagine themselves by creating their own cape, just as Nobo does!

In 2020, Tilda Swinton received the prestigious British Film Institute's highest honour: the BFI Fellowship for being a 'daringly eclectic performer and filmmaker', joining the ranks of Akira Kurosawa and Martin Scorsese. In this conversation, we look at what Fellowship means, why it is essential in the world we live in - transgressing the arts, and how collaboration and cooperation will always triumph over competition.

Bengal has been watched over by a powerful she-energy. She takes various forms - Manasha the powerful snake goddess who nurtures the fertile soil and the well-being of all those under her gaze, Bonbibi who cares for the mangrove forests and rivers, and Durga, wife of Shiva, the source of strength and protector of all that is harmonious. Kaiser Haq and Rachel McDermott discuss how her manifestations live on in various mediums and creative forms till today, with Shamsad Mortuza.

Directed by Proshoon Rahman, Dear Satyajit revolves around three filmmakers from three different generations whose crafts and lives have been deeply influenced by Ray’s filmography.

The line between science and fiction is fast blurring as robots and AI from stories become reality. Sci-fi film director Amit Ashraf talks with roboticist Shams Jaber and animator/astrophotographer/inventor Zubuyer Kaolin about Bangladesh's place in the future. They will demonstrate with some real robots and AI that are already shaping our lives now. But what is the moral code in using this tech in such a labor-based economy? How can we prepare?

বাংলা ভাষার অগ্রগণ্য কবি জয় গোস্বামী ও কবি শামীম রেজা পরস্পরের কবিতা, কবিতা ভাবনা, কবিতা-যাপন এবং বাংলা কবিতার গতিপ্রকৃতি নিয়ে কথা বলবেন।

Celebrating its 30th anniversary, we are thrilled to be hosting a one-off screening of Orlando, the film based on the groundbreaking novel by Virginia Woolf. The screening is followed by a conversation with one of the most beguiling and versatile actors on earth.

The health of our planet is very much interconnected with our actions, and perhaps no group today feels this more acutely than the world’s youth—the ones left to grapple with some of the most devastating consequences of a warming world. According to some projections, for example, a child born in 2020 will experience a two- to seven-fold increase in extreme weather events compared to those born in 1960. Amidst all the doom and gloom narrative, there have been some inspiring stories and action on tackling this crisis and it has really been young people at the forefront of climate movements demanding bold, global action. We speak to three young trailblazers—all pushing for change in their communities in inspiring and creative ways—to share their thoughts and understanding of the climate crisis, how it is so important to see the interconnectedness of climate and environment and what action they are working on. This panel will be moderated by Dr Samiya Selim who has been working in the climate change and sustainability space, both in Bangladesh and England for the past 20 years.

In literature, nature is often perceived with some amount of mysticism as it represents a state of freedom, passion and beauty, something that is not under our control. Nature literature is a unique way of discussing environmental issues and climate troubles as it incorporates relationships between people, society and the environment. Reza Khan and Mokaram Hossain explore how appreciation for our surroundings help to adopt extra sensitivity towards and ecological understanding of our relation to nature in these trying climate emergency times. Moderated by Inam Al-Haque.

Pantho and Friends is a confluence of musicians who share the same love for Bangladeshi music and collaborate to uphold folk and other notable music that denotes the lives and livelihoods of people and cultures across our motherland such as songs of Rabindranath Tagore, Nazrul Geeti, Lokogeeti and modern Bangla songs, to the youth of Bangladesh.

Coke Studio Bangla is a global music platform that pays homage to the richness of Bangladeshi Music, by combining traditional music with modern tunes, thus enhancing the beauty of popular songs from the yesteryears. In an effort to appeal to younger audiences, they have found success in blending modern genres such as rock, jazz, hip-hop, EDM, house etc. with traditional Bengali songs. A conversation on how Coke Studio came to be and where its going.

In her book Ethical Encounters: Transnational feminism, human rights and war cinema in Bangladesh, Elora Halim Chowdhury characterizes the birangona as an ‘absent-present woman.’ The book traces the genre of the muktijuddho film. It was nearly 30 years after independence, and with a spurt of films (both documentary and feature) by women filmmakers, that the figure of the birangona, comes to the forefront, disturbing dominant heroic narratives. Naripokkho, in a similar vein, have titled their engagement with birangonas as ‘The Forgotten Women of ’71.’ Not only are these women largely forgotten in our recounting of the struggle for independence, but are fast disappearing, literally, through the natural process of old age and death, but also from history and memory. Naripokkho member Firdous Azim and Elora Halim Chowdhury will be in conversation about centering the story of the birangona, writing feminist histories, and devising forms of memorialisation.

বাঙালির নিজস্ব চিন্তার ইতিহাস বহুদিনের। বাঙালির হাজার বছরের ইতিহাস শুধু দমিয়ে রাখার ইতিহাস নয়। দাসত্বের শৃঙ্খল থেকে মুক্তির সংগ্রামে আমরা যেমন নুরুলদীন ক্ষুদিরাম প্রীতিলতা হয়ে সুভাষ, মোজাফরকে দেখি , তেমনি মহাকালে তর্জনী জ্বলে উঠলে হাজার মানুষকে সশস্ত্র সংগ্রামে ঝাঁপিয়ে পড়তে দেখি। আমাদের এই নিজস্ব ইতিহাস ঐতিহ্য খুঁজে নিতে হবে, লিখতে হবে, এই চেতনাকে লালন করতে হবে মগজে।

In her works from the refugee camps of northern France, to her works with homeless shelters and women's refuges across the UK, Onjali has met many s/heroes working hard to save lives every single day. Many have inspired her to write her multi award-winning books, the first of which was The Boy at the Back of the Class. Join Onjali as she discusses why, despite the wars and hardships of the word, it is real-life people and children who inspire her stories, and prove that there is always Hope On the Horizon.

'Ayra ar Maa er Obhijaan' (Ayra and Maa's Adventure) is a children's travel series in Bangla, called 'Tanzania Dip e' and 'Africay Shingher Khoje'. The stories are written based on the real-life travel experiences of the author with her daughter. The storytelling session will be conducted by the author where both the author and her daughter will narrate. They will engage children by asking questions, encouraging them to share similar experiences, getting more travel ideas from children and parents, and engaging in critical conversations on creating positive parent-child experiences.

Colonies, nations and liberation have all proved powerful themes for narratives that have shaped identities and literature during the last century. The new century presents us with issues stemming from both imperial legacies, but also climate crises and new technologies. New forces arise to vex the powerful or sow new conflicts. Abdulrazak Gurnah has written about legacies of colonialism, Amitav Ghosh about vicissitudes that transcend national boundaries, and Pankaj Mishra is a leading analyst of politics and culture, and a novelist himself. Nilanjana Roy, a novelist, journalist and literary critic, discusses how the novel can still help us make sense of things. Or is its purpose a different one altogether?

In Search of the Novel of the Future

এসময়ে এসে উপন্যাসের বিষয়ে আঙ্গিকে নতুনত্বের উপযোগীতা দেখা দিয়েছে। এই যুগে মানুষ বই ছেড়ে ঝুঁকেছে প্রযুক্তি নির্ভর ভার্চ্যুয়াল দুনিয়ায়, ফ্যান্টাসীধর্মী চলচ্চিত্রে। মহামারী উত্তর পৃথিবীতে বিশ্বব্যাপী নতুন নতুন সংকট, বহুমুখী চিন্তা-ভাবনা এবং জীবনযাপনে বৈচিত্র্য দেখা দিয়েছে। এই নতুন বিশ্বে, নতুন সংকটে উপন্যাস নতুন কোন মনস্তাত্ত্বিক দাবী নিয়ে পাঠকের সামনে উপস্থিত হবে।

For the First Nations, traditional knowledge and respect for the land was encoded in the language of dreams. In myth and memory, song and story, the land was a living entity—a source of nourishment and enlightenment to be cherished and protected. Nowhere is this better captured than the Australian Aboriginal concept of the Dream Time. But in our current age (aka ‘the great derangement’), nations attempt to neutralize nature, erasing diverse voices and marginalizing communities centred around interconnectedness with the land. With their cultures, economies, and ways of life embattled by the climate crisis, today’s indigenous writers fight back with their pens. In this panel, Australian First Nations poets Yvette Holt and Graham Akhurst join Chittagong Hill Tracts activist Ilira Dewan and Garo writer Parag Ritchil to talk about the struggles of their diverse communities and how hope and change emerge through a poet's work. Moderated by Sanjeeb Drong of Bangladesh's Adivasi Forum.

Screenings of The Final Frontier by Kaiser Haq, Love In the Time of Composting by Abeer Hoque, and The Last CEO based on Saad Z Hossain's dystopian novella by the same name. These three films were made as part of Everything Change, an online series exploring how creativity and adaptive thinking might help overcome the challenges of the climate and ecological crises.

Children's puppet show by the Royal Bina Puppet Show

In her Booker-winning novel Tomb of Sand, Geetanjali Shree weaves an epic tale on an enormous canvas that breaks away from traditions and promises a unique reading experience imbued with metaphors, word-play, wit and historicity. Retaining all its linguistic and literary nuances, the translation also challenges stereotypes ingrained in the spaces between cultures and languages. Author Geetanjali Shree and translator Daisy Rockwell with writer and translator Rifat Munim.

Selling Books: Beyond Online Stores

বইয়ের দোকান বলতে এখন আর কাঠামোবদ্ধ চৌকাঠ বোঝায় না। যে-কোনো সময় যে-কোনো মুহূর্তে পাঠক তার পছন্দের বই দেখতে পারেন, কিছুটা পড়েও অর্ডার করতে পারেন। অনলাইনে বইয়ের দোকান হওয়ায় প্রথাগত বইয়ের দোকান কি হুমকির মুখে পড়েছে? অনলাইন কি বইয়ের বাজারকে আরো বেশি সম্প্রসারিত করেছে?

The complexity of icons is worth examining: a phenomenon that continues to have significance in shaping our world, everything from culture to politics. Whilst they are meant to be inspirations for the next generation, could they also hinder original thinking and growth? On this panel, we have Dominic Ziegler (author of Black Dragon River), Florence Noiville (biographer of Isaac B Singer, Milan Kundera), and Sudeep Chakravarti, an expert on South Asian history (The Bengalis, Plassey). They are in conversation with Sarah Churchwell, author of The Many Lives of Marilyn Monroe.

Architects are artists who use space as a medium to shape the ways that people live. Socially engaged practice, also referred to as social practice or socially engaged art, can include any art form involving people and communities in debate, collaboration, or social. This session looks at the intersecting ideologies and overlapping practices of socially engaged art, architecture and community engagement. Architects Marina Tabassum and Aga Khan Award for Architecture winners Rizvi Hassan and Khondaker Hasibul Kabir are moderated by multidisciplinary artist and writer Teresa Albor.

For the language and ethnic minorities of Bangladeshi, keeping the flame of culture alive is a soul commitment. The work of preserving the unique language, culture, foodways, stories, etc, of peoples such as the Mro, Rakhine, and Chakma people is led by pioneering individuals such as filmmaker Aung Rakhine, writer and director of The Bicycle, the first feature film in the Rakhine language; Younguang Mro, author of 29 books on Mro language and culture, including 19 in Mro; and restaurateur Priyanka Chakma, who, with her sisters, launched Dhaka’s Hebang restaurant in 2019. Filmmaker Elizabeth D. Costa moderates this diverse group of passionate culture keepers.

A Conversation with Syed Jamil Ahmed. With Shahman Moishan.

Under the direction of Naila Azad Nupur, Dhaka Lit Fest presents dramatic renditions of eight monologues taken from the book Always a Way: 50 Stories of Courage and Hope, shedding light on the lives changed through BRAC programmes, demonstrating how there’s resilience at the end of every struggle.

Esther Freud has said that she didn't learn to read properly until she was almost ten. She chronicled her irregular childhood in her first novel, Hideous Kinky, which was not only a bestseller but also turned into a film featuring Kate Winslet. Her subsequent works have ranged from the struggles of a young woman in London to historical settings and even family history. But females of all ages with their subtle vulnerabilities and great resilience remain an abiding theme in her works. Moderated by author, journalist and literary critic Florence Noiville.

A discussion of the making of and editing female characters from folk lore and fairy tales.

A discussion of the making of and editing female characters from folk lore and fairy tales. A collaborative story weaving experiment, The Myth Bridge brings together creators from Bangladesh and Germany to make a book of modern mythology based in Germanic and Bengali folklore traditions.

AJ Ghani, Khondker Neaz Rahman and Sumaiyah Mamun will rewrite your understanding of anthropomorphic climate change in the cyclone-swept delta. Moderated by Naushad Ali Husein.

What are the physical, emotional, and social barriers female filmmakers have to overcome to achieve their goal of making films? Hear from four Bangladeshi women navigating and advancing in a male-dominated art and entertainment industry. Humaira Bilkis, with her film "Things I could never tell my mother" (2022), chose non-fiction as a medium because it liberated her to be a storyteller. Elizabeth D. Costa, with her film "Bangla Surf Girls" (2021), is emerging as one of Bangladesh’s most exciting female directors and cinematographers. After a decade-long career in the Bangladeshi television Industry, writer and filmmaker Tasmiah Afrin Mou came out with her debut short film "Statement After My Poet Husband’s Death" (2016) which has been critically acclaimed in the global festivals circuit. Rawyan Shayema is one of the only female cinematographers in Bangladesh, having worked in more than 20 documentaries and fictions over the last 11 years. In conversation with film director, writer, and producer Rubaiyat Hossain.

A rare treat as we hear Tilda Swinton read from some of her favourite writers and poets: Michel de Montaigne, Virginia Woolf, Mahmoud Darwish, Hafez, Norman McCaig, John Berger, Rumi, et al, and interspersed with stories related to the selection. Introduced by Ahsan Akbar.

Consent: Up until today, no matter where you lived in the world, romantic and sexual consent was most often a blurred line. For most people in traditional societies, family or community obligations trumped personal preference for many of life’s most important decisions – marriage being the case in point. Add cinematic notions of romantic coyness, lack of women’s agency and sex education, and it’s no wonder that negotiating consent has usually devolved into minefields of conflict and confusion. But, in a perfect world, what would consent look like? One definition that has emerged is FRIES: Freely given, Reversible, Informed, Enthusiastic, Specific? Join activists Sanjida Islam Choya, Shravasti Roy Nath, Marwa Kazi Mohammed, and Manisha Meem Nipun discussing evolving ideas of consent. Gender activist Mahfuza Mala moderates.

Vaxxers is Oxford Professor of Vaccinology Sarah Gilbert’s gripping tale of taking the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine from lab-to-jab in under a year. Before WHO had even declared a pandemic, Gilbert and her team had not only designed the ‘vaccine for the people’ but made key decisions to accelerate production to licensure as quickly as possible and develop a global manufacturing network that could make billions of doses at scale to help ensure equitable access. With AZ approved and on the market in January 2021, Bangladesh began mass vaccination on February 7. Today, 70% of Bangladesh’s population is fully immunized. Sarah Gilbert’s cool head and systematic thinking revolutionized the vaccine game, saving millions and engaging with global asymmetries. In Vaxxers and her numerous talks and writings on vaccinology, she demystifies the science, reassures the skeptics among us, and galvanizes us to think proactively about what the world must do now to meet the next deadly disease. With Sadaf Saaz.

Intimacy is forged through the human voice, and a poem can contain whole worlds. Bards and poets were our original storytellers, enrapturing kings and villagers, warriors and lovers with the sheer enchantment of the spoken word. In this session, poets Owen Sheers, Sarvat Hasin, Kamal Chowdhury and Yvette Holt lead us into a place of dreaming with recitations of their original poems. With Manmay Zafar.

A discontent brewing deep in the heart of America exploded with vengeance with the election of Trump to the White House in 2016. Forces that propelled that unexpected event are still present in phenomena ranging from QAnon to the extreme rhetoric by elected officials. Culture wars have intensified. So too has political polarization. All this in the context of increasing inequality, border breakdown, increasing personal and national debt and possibly a sense of losing one’s place both within society and as a nation in the comity of nations.

Leela Konko has been originally taken from the Mymensingh lyricist, ‘Konk and Leela’ paala gaan. Over the years, the production gradually shifted to a theater style performance after initially being narrated through songs. The performance breaks away from the traditional form of pala as the story progresses through dialogues and songs, demonstrated by various characters. The play is a bold production against bigotry and dogma and deals with emotions like love, affection and loyalty. This play will be presented by a group of young women, who are visually impaired.

This is a nation of dreamers. Out of the great challenges of Bangladesh’s history, landscape and climate emerge builders, innovators and iconoclasts who dare to dream differently and imagine harmonious ways of living that allow all people and the natural environment to thrive. In this DLF Innovation Talk, join BRAC’s executive director Asif Saleh and acclaimed architect-for-the-people Marina Tabassum for an inspiring discussion on designing communities, buildings and programs that that are sustainable, beautiful, equitable and rise to meet Bangladesh’s unique needs.

Writing for the screen is often seen as a lucrative form of creative expression - except very few get rewarded with a contract. There's no guarantee your script will be read. And you can't really publish the script without it being made. As a newcomer, you may be offered a negligible fee and it is increasingly challenging to make a career out of writing. How does someone make it as a screenwriter? Is making your own film the way forward? On this panel, we put together independent filmmakers and screenwriters along with a leading agent.

Challenging Stereotypes: Conventional wisdom holds that the bloom goes off the rose after a certain season. But these actors flourish and grow well after the prime of traditional entertainment industry careers. Join silver screen icons Afzal Hossain and Azmeri Haque Badhon for a conversation about aging against stereotypes. With Bonna Mirza.

In these short personal stories, artist and filmmaker Nupu Press shares tales of seeking and belonging from London to Mumbai to Dhaka to Split to Boston. While navigating grief and depression, she still manages to find lightness and creativity – and opportunities to finally meet herself. Join Nupu in conversation with science podcaster Resa Lewiss and big-hearted children's storyteller Paro Anand. Novelist Sarvat Hasin moderates this heartfelt discussion on roaming, crashing and getting up again.

On one level food simply means nutrition, although, of course, it means so much more than that. It means family, friendship, community, politics, love, laughter, and arguments. You find true friendship by breaking bread together. But if we are what we eat, it is quintessential to get the right ingredients into our bodies. Chefs Kishwar Chowdhury and Valentine Warner know all about ingredients and how to make everything taste delicious, while Ursula Muntean-Rock can shed light on what to avoid and what we could consider food for the daytime vs night. Join us for a fun and enlightening conversation on food with cyber security engineer turned chef Sameera Wadood.

Songs such as abar elo je shondha (আবার এলো যে সন্ধ্যা), mon shudhu mon chuyeche (মন শুধু মন ছুয়েছে), and ashi ashi bole tumi (আসি আসি বলে তুমি) defined the post-independence Bangla pop and rock genres of music in Bangladesh. However, over the past few decades, we have witnessed an emergence of new song writers, writing styles, and genres of music ranging from hip-hop, metal, shoe-gazers, to urban kobi-gaan. Which brings to question - what is the new Bangla sound of music? Moderated by Chotu Khan, curator and producer of DHAKA SESSIONS, join the panelists to get a taste of what’s going on in the emerging music scene in Bangladesh, as they discuss and demonstrate their music.

South and Southeast Asian history is marred by vicious violence, of state against civilians and even neighbour against neighbour. Violence begets more violence and we just can't seem to break out of this cycle. Authors who have addressed the legacy of such trauma in various contexts, public to domestic, ethnic to gendered, discuss the wretched, vexing and, still too often, existential crises posed by such violence in South and Southeast Asian cultures. Authors Shehan Karunatilaka, Iffat Nawaz, Elizabeth Shick and Vivek Menezes are moderated by Mahua Moitra.

The Covid-19 pandemic was a wake-up call for healthcare systems, a stress-test exposing flaws and blind spots in treatment approaches and prevailing public health wisdom. But, from the failures of the moment, emerge opportunities to fix the status quo. How can we improve our existing health systems with creative and innovative collaborations? What does patient-centred care mean not just in theory but practice? What strategies are needed now to address the ticking time bomb of non-communicable diseases? An all-physician panel includes Ursula Muntean-Rock, whose practice combines approaches from East and West, doctor turned herbal healthcare entrepreneur and public health communicator Maliha Mannan, and Bangladesh’s telehealth champion Nizam Ahmed. Healthcare columnist and ER Resa Lewiss moderates.

Greater Bengal: History and Literary Practice

দেশভাগ বাঙালির প্রথম স্থানিক বুদ্ধিভিত্তিক অভিঘাত। যার রক্তক্ষরণ চলছে শিল্পসাহিত্য ও ইতিহাস চর্চায়। তাছাড়া ধর্মভিত্তিক রাষ্ট্রকাঠামো থেকে বেড়িয়ে ভাষা আন্দোলন, স্বাধীকার আন্দোলন ও স্বাধীনতা প্রাপ্তিতে বাঙালির দুইপাড়ের ইতিহাস ভিন্ন হতে শুরু করেছে ৭০ বছর ধরে, এছাড়া ত্রিপুরা আসাম ও পৃথিবীর বিভিন্ন দেশে ছড়িয়ে থাকা বাঙালিদের সাহিত্য চর্চা সমৃদ্ধ করছে বাংলা সাহিত্যকে। কোথায় কেমন চলছে এই চর্চা? সাহিত্যের ইতিহাসে এর স্থান কতটুকু?

Gatekeeping in the world of arts is evident but is it inevitable? Whilst it is complex and at times controversial, we cannot ignore the role of tastemakers - individuals who decide everything from the artwork to be displayed or the book to get translated and promoted. The panel questions the role of the tastemakers in the arts who act as gatekeepers. They are powerful as they shape what we consume. Do they act as the much-needed filter, especially in the age of digital media, as they are the people who really know their onions? Or, conversely, are they becoming less relevant with the rise of crowdfunded projects and social media?

Beatmosphere is the first-ever genre-bending acappella and beatbox group in Bangladesh, established over a decade ago. They are an all beatbox/vocals collective, who will be delivering an interesting performance with a series of acts created with only vocals and beatboxing, along with a hint of acappella in between. They will also take the audience on a journey through the beauty of beatboxing by using Bengali alphabets and phonetics, demonstrating how the language has a huge impact on the local beatboxing scene. With every sound they make, there is an essence of the beautiful language we speak.

Rickshaw Girl is a story of a daring Bangladeshi teenage artist named Naima, who attempts to help her struggling family by disguising herself as a boy and driving her father's prized rickshaw for much needed extra money. Despite adversities and obstacles, it is her vivid artwork that reveals her true calling in life and provides a loving homage to the art, culture and meaning of the rickshaw and rickshaw art in Bangladeshi life. Followed by a brief Meet the Director with Amitabh Reza Chowdhury.

100 years of studying Syed Waliullah

দেশবিভাগ উত্তর বাংলাদেশের সাহিত্যে ধর্মান্ধতা থেকে মুক্তির খোঁজে আলোর পথ দেখান সৈয়দ ওয়ালীউল্লাহ। অসাম্প্রদায়িক বাঙালি রাষ্ট্রগঠনে অনিবার্য হয়ে ওঠেন ওয়ালীউল্লাহ পাঠ। তাঁর রচনাসমগ্র নতুন জাতিরাষ্ট্রের জাতিস্বর।

Talk of the Universe

Broken Bridges of Culture

As the lag between ACI-fi projections and reality gets ever shorter, how should we prepare to live, work, thrive in an increasingly fast-changing world? Speakers discuss the future of work, urbanism, decentralisation, decarbonisation and more. SandBox, co-hosted by DLF and WhiteBoard policy magazine, presents this cross-cutting discussion by speakers from their various areas of expertise.

Street children in Dhaka demonstrate enormous resilience in coping with the vulnerabilities and adversities that are systemically forced onto them. The numbers of street children grow every year, and the post-Covid rise in their numbers cause higher concerns. In light of Rubaiya Murshed's "Nobody's Children", these panelists will explore the responsibilities of the state, society and the non-state actors in addressing the issue and in giving them back a part of their childhood.

For contemporary Bangladeshis, English is a double-edged inheritance. As the language of global power and cultural hegemony, skillful command of English unlocks doors. It can make or break one’s place in the world. Yet, 50 years after independence and 75 years into the post-colonial era, aren’t the days of blindly following the West behind us? Have we been able to build sensibilities and modes of thought that are uniquely Bangladeshi? If there is such a thing as a deshi mind, how can its ethos be shaped by the English classroom? Faculty from the English departments of IUB and NSU are joined by ULAB’s director of South Asian studies Sudeep Chakravarti in a lively conversation on conflicting political, cultural, and literary perspectives through the lens of English studies.

What comes to your mind when you hear the word 'scientist'? What is it that they do, and how does it impact or benefit society? Join us to find out why local scientists at the Child Health Research Foundation are stepping out of their labs to set up science camps all over Bangladesh. We will be discussing what the phrase, ‘science by and for the many, not the few’ means, and why it is important for all of us to help educate, engage and empower the next generation of scientists.

The body of works by Nobel Laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah, if forced to reduce to a one-word summary, would be best served by the title of one of his novels: Desertion. Gurnah’s characters are often dispossessed, on-the-run, exiled or self-exiled, in short, somehow out of place. From colonial to post-colonial eras in Eastern Africa, and also in diasporic conditions in the West, Gurnah has provided complex, vivid portraits of subaltern lives lived well beyond simple binaries of victim/oppressor. Gurnah in conversation with his publisher at Bloomsbury, Alexandra Pringle.

Much work happens in the name of climate change, but how much of it has a lasting and transformative impact on the ground? Who makes the decisions behind these programs, and who eventually benefits? Do communities actually impacted by climate change have any agency in the way climate funds are spent? And how can they develop a bigger voice in the global conversation around climate change? Climate actors deconstruct the issues from Ground Zero.

The Future of Poetry in Today's Era

কবিতা কি শুধু যারা লিখেন তারাই পড়েন? ভার্চুয়াল এই সময়ে কবিতার প্রয়োজনীয়তা কি? ভবিষ্যতে কারা কবিতা পড়বেন? ভবিষ্যতের কবিতায় ভার্চুয়াল রিয়েলিটির প্রভাব কতটুকু? ভবিষ্যতের কবিতার গঠন (ফর্ম) ও ভাষার পরিবর্তন হবে কি? কবিতা আগামী মানুষের জীবন যাপনে কতটা প্রভাব ফেলবে?

Anjum N Chowdhury reads from The Divining Thread followed by a discussion on writing micro tales with Sabrina Fatma Ahmad.

Cricket, one of the greatest games there is, has had a colorful journey from England to here--starting from the colonial days of British India, through the Pakistan era, and with a gradual transition into Bangladesh's independence. Primarily focused on Bangladesh, the recently launched book Eye on the Ball presents the trials and tribulations of our cricket. This session presents a great innings of cricketing history and present in Bangladesh with former international cricketers Gordon Greenidge and Hamilton Masakadza who played in Bangladesh in conversation with former Bangladeshi cricketer and author Yousuf Rahman Babu.

The women authors examined in this session write against the grain to carve out room for themselves. Feminist scholar Sabiha Huq’s work examines the writing of Mughal women contesting social and political space in the communal life of the zenana. Translator Daisy Rockwell explores the inner and outer lives of Muslim women in pre-Partition Pakistan, as vividly captured in her translation of Urdu-language writer Khadija Mastur’s seminal novel The Women’s Courtyard. And Denise Decaires Narain looks at the making of self in the writings of Caribbean writers, and of Black and Asian women poets living in diaspora. What do the emergent literary sensibilities of this diverse group of women tell us about literature as a tool to reimagine women’s worlds? Moderated by women’s activist and BRAC University chair of English and Humanities Firdous Azim.

Masculinity vs. Patriarchy: The trickle-down effects of the patriarchy are insidious but not always named. Gender-based biases and stereotypes are the invisible cogs in almost every industry’s power structure, powered by pernicious inequalities that flatten women’s agency. Social media offers yet another toxic dimension, with out-of-control online bullying that targets women over men in a ratio of 10:1. How can we break the wheel and create systems that empower everyone? This session brings together diverse voices from the worlds of arts, entertainment, academia, activism, and the legal system to share experiences from their various fields. With Iresh Zaker, Syeed Ahamed, Maheen Sultan, Nobonita Chowdhury, Azmeri Haque Badhon, Taqbir Huda and Tasaffy Hossain. Media personality Bonna Mirza moderates.

Roaring against institutional and historical racisms, The Lion Above the Door centres on one question alone: why do the history books of today, continue to leave out the stories and faces of the millions of men and women of South and East Asia, China and Africa, who helped win the wars of our collectives pasts? Come and join Onjali as she takes you on a crash course through her own history, and the inspirational places and names that led to the creation of Leo and Sangeeta: the lion cubs on a quest of their own to find the hidden and eradicated names and faces of World War II.

In matters of healthcare, the quality of information we receive can be the difference between sickness and health, and even life or death. What are the dos and don’ts of maternal nutrition? How to manage weight-loss without compromising one’s physical health? What new drug therapy claims going viral on Facebook are clinically-researched and scientifically-backed? As the influence of anti-vaxxers and pandemic conspiracy theorists has proven, an epidemic of bad information can have serious consequences for public health. This panel brings together trusted health and science communicators Dr. Tasnim Jara, whose app Shohay supplies reliable health information to Bangla-speakers and health podcaster Dr. Resa Lewiss in a roundtable of stories from the fake news frontier and the stubbornness of misinformation bubbles. Zain Omar Ali moderates.

Before the interaction of the reader and the book comes a process of curation. Publishers, agents, critics, and media platforms decide which books will even reach readers. Media platforms that critique literature are, therefore, at the heart of the book ecosystem. They shape a book’s public perception and can bolster (or destroy) sales. How do we decide which stories deserve to evolve into books, which books make it to recommendation lists and reviews? Why do we read reviews, and have we mastered the art of writing them with objectivity and creativity? Does book criticism truly help the flow and business of literature within and across national borders?

Growing up in the shadow of her formidable father, it wasn’t inevitable that Marina Mahathir, eldest daughter of Malaysia’s former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, would blaze a trail of her own. Caught between the anxiety of influence and the burden of expectation, like the scions of many famous families, she might have burned out under the pressure. In her coming-of-age story The Apple and the Tree, Mahathir writes candidly of the curse and the blessing of life as the daughter of Malaysia’s great man of state, and how it has shaped her work as an outspoken human rights activist whose AIDS activism garnered her 2010 UN Person of the Year. With Sharaad Kuttan.

Storytelling performance of The Other - dark, yet uplifting, unflinching, yet deeply positive. Paro Anand's searing stories examine our actions and inactions in the myriad ways we otherize those who are different.

Power Dynamics: The literature and culture of ethnic groups

আমাদের মূলধারার সাহিত্য-সংস্কৃতিতে ক্ষুদ্র নৃজাতি গোষ্ঠীর অবদান কতটুকু এই প্রশ্নে দোষের পাল্লা দুদিকেই ভারি করা যায়। ইতিহাসে তারাই অনেকটা বাঁচিয়ে রেখেছে তাদের মৌলিক সত্তা। তাদের চেয়ে আমাদের ভাষা-সংস্কৃতিতে নৃতাত্ত্বিকভাবে বেশি মিশ্রণ ঘটেছে। রাজনৈতিক, অর্থনৈতিক, সাংস্কৃতিকভাবে মূলধারার এই আধিপত্য সকল দিক থেকেই ক্ষতিকর, বাঙালি চেতনার পরিপন্থী। সাংস্কৃতিক বৈচিত্র্য তুলে ধরে বিশ্বে নিজেদের অবস্থান জানান দেওয়ার সময় এসেছে। সকলে মিলে, সব ভাষায়, সকল সংস্কৃতির সম্মিলনে দেশ গড়াইতো হওয়া উচিত মূল লক্ষ।

Innovation results when rigorous minds and wills battle against extraordinary challenges and unexpected constraints. In different arenas and areas of expertise, Masterchef Kishwar Chowdhury and science communicator Tasnim Jara demonstrate what creativity and boldness can look like. From a designing an innovative campaign with life-saving information reaching tens of millions of people at the height of the pandemic to pioneering culinary achievements that erase global South/North and high/low divides by elevating heritage foods into haute cuisine, Kishwar and Tasnim break moulds. Join these world-class innovators in conversation at this DLF Innovation Talk.

Debunking the 5-7-5 syllable myth, you will be able to write a haiku by the end of this workshop with Quamrul Hassan.

Is COP our only hope of saving the planet, or has it proven to be a glorified PR exercise for world leaders and its corporate sponsors? Does the weakening commitment to limiting global warming, or the promise of a loss and damage fund translate to anything of significance? How many of us can really understand what comes out of these conferences? While our diplomats battle over legalese and literary choices behind closed doors—to phase “out” or “down”?—the 99% is left out of the conversation. Especially those most impacted by the choice of preposition. How can the discourse be democratised? How can the voices on the frontier have a buy-in on these decisions? On this panel are eminent climate scientist, Saleemul Haq; Senior Advisor of International Centre for Climate Change and Development, Shaila Shahid; and novelist and Swansea University professor Owen Sheers who has been studying the role creative expression can play in the fight against climate change; and Research Lawyer from Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers’ Association, Bareesh Chowdhury.

Increasing exposure to cultural diversity is one of the best ways to engage with global currents in art and politics. Nadav Lapid has gained a reputation for his criticism of Israeli nationalism and identity. In this masterclass we will hear from Nadav Lapid about his journey in making polemic films the tend to disturb the authorities. What is the relationship between cinema and state politics? How is masculinity represented and understood in his cinema? We will also learn about his experience in being a director who openly challenges the power regime and fights for democracy, freedom of speech and creativity. How does an artist face so much fire?

According to the internationally acclaimed chef and food writer Valentine Warner, "despite all the cookbooks, television shows, and ingredients, we know less about food than ever before". Not only do we know less, we often eat wrong, and too much, and we don't care to recognise which items, easily picked at the grocery store, may actually be harmful to our planet. Then there's the age-old debate about curry houses in Britain serving food that bear little or no resemblance to the authentic fare. And if you were to insist on saying cuisine every time you meant food, it is perhaps something for the benefit of social media. Food, as in sustenance and the joy of sharing, is more like what most of us have in mind. Warner also adds "the best way to understand any country or its people is through its stomach." Let's get cooking!

Translation: Literature's Poor Relation? অনুবাদ এক ভাষা থেকে অন্য ভাষায় ভাষান্তর নয় শুধু। যা কেবল অর্থের বদল নয়, রূপান্তরিত হয় লক্ষ্যভাষায় শৈলীতেও; যার মধ্যদিয়ে চৈতন্যের আত্মীকরণ করা হয়। অনুবাদ ছাড়া কোনো ভাষার সাহিত্যই পরিপুষ্ট হতে পারে না। লেখক-পাঠক বুঝতে পারেন না বৈশ্বিক চিত্র। অনুবাদের পেছনে থাকে নিরলস শ্রম ও নিষ্ঠা। কিন্তু এই শ্রমলব্ধ কাজের রয়েছে নানা সীমাবদ্ধতা। সব অনুবাদই যেমন অনুবাদ নয়। সৃজনশীল অনুবাদ কী তবে, কেমন হাওয়া উচিত। 

The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka won the 2022 Booker Prize. The novel chronicles the story of Malinda Albert Kabalana Almeida (Maali), a professional photographer and a "fixer" for the foreign press covering the gruesome Sri Lankan civil war. The seven moons refer to the seven nights that Maali has at his disposal to contact the man and woman he loves the most and guide them to a stash of photographs that will change the fate of Sri Lanka. It has been described by Booker Prize judges as 'whoddunit and a race against time, full of ghosts, gags and a deep humanity'. Karunatilaka is in conversation with his agent Kanishka Gupta.

Is Dhaka City hurtling inexorably towards a dystopian demise? In Cyber Mage, the third volume of his acclaimed Djinn trilogy, Bangladesh’s beloved sci-fi satirist and lifelong Dhakaite Saad Z. Hossain offers up an uncanny road map towards a nightmare vision of the maximum city we love to hate. Join Saad in a funny and ferocious conversation with writer Amit Ashraf on climate change, good governance, crime, violence, and widening inequality, all through the lens of this city that 22 million people call their home. Print copies of Cyber Mage, Saad’s fourth novel, will be available for the first time in Bangladesh through the DLF bookstore.

Music of the Changing Tides দিন বদলেছে, হামাগুড়ি দিয়ে মানুষ ছুটে চলছে বিশ্বায়নে দুর্বিপাকে। মননে মগজে হাওয়া লেগেছে ভিন্ন রুচির ভিন্ন সংস্কৃতির। শিল্প সাহিত্যের এই বিশ্বায়নে সংগীতের চর্চা বাড়াতে হবে-  নিজস্ব বাদ্যযন্ত্রের তাল,  নিজস্ব সুরকে তুলে ধরতে হবে বিশ্বের ঐক্যতানে।  

The lineup for Dhaka Lit Fest’s final concert is by Coke Studio Bangla whose lineup includes artists Animes Roy, Pantha Kanai, Rubayat Rehman, Rituraj, Nandita, Sunidhi Nayak and Boga Taleb.