Accompanied on stage by acclaimed writers Syed Manzoorul Islam, A Qayyum Khan and Kaiser Huq, the launching of Shahzaman Mozumder's new memorandum on 1971, “The Guerrilla”, by Daily Star Books took place in front of a brimming and absorbed crowd composed of literary enthusiasts and history buffs.
The last day of this year's Hay Festival highlighted a promising session on the rise of China and the increasing challenges it faces in a globalised world.
...When a man declares, “My mission in life is to make people laugh”, you can be sure you're in for an evening of hysterics. Naveed Mahbub launched his new book “Humorously Yours” on Friday at Hay Fest.
Because I know you are going to ask
where the flowers are,
I have picked roses red and sweet,
left them by the wayside for the birds to eat.
Because I know you are going to ask
where the sweets are,
I have made you halwa with these hands,
stirred and then spilt what was yours.
Because I know you are going to ask
where I am,
I have long left the place I was,
to walk slow between the trees
Where your greedy eye cannot reach me.
“If you read a man's narrative, you just know it's not written by a woman,” said literary critic Muneeza Shamsie in “The Women as a Writer” on the second day of Hay. The session, moderated by Tahmima Anam, also included Indian novelists Manju Kapur and Nilanjana Roy.