Selected and translated by renowned writer, editor and translator Arunava Sinha, the twenty-one stories in this anthology represent the finest example of the genre. Some of the world’s finest short fiction has originated (and continues to flow) from) the cities, villages, rivers, forests and plains of Bengal. This selection features twenty-one of the very best stories from the region.

Here, the reader will find one of Rabindranath Tagore’s most revered stories ‘The Kabuli Allah’ in a glinting new translation, memorable studies of ordinary people from Tara Shankar and Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay, the iconic Sarwat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s wrenching study of Bengali society, ‘Mahesh’,

as well as over a dozen other astounding stories by some of the greatest practitioners of the form—Buddha deva Bose, Shapira Debi, Prebendary Mitra, Satyajit Ray, Ritika Ghatam, Manhasset Devi, Sunil Genopathy and Nab run Bhattacharya, among others. These are stories of anger, loss, grief, disillusionment, magic, politics, trickery, humor and the darkness of mind and heart. They reimagine life in ways that make them unforgettable.

Features:

• A selection of the finest modern Bengali stories ever written is sure to appeal to Bengali readers as well as the non-Bengalis with an interest in what is arguably India’s richest literary tradition

• All the great names in Bengali literature are represented and the superb translations will ensure that the book finds a large audience