INSPIRATION

My first inspiration is my family; though there was no one directly involved in writing but there was a practice of reading in my family. At an early age, my maternal grandmother used to read and tell me a lot of stories. Therefore, I could relate and imagine those stories. Even when my friends used to play in the field, I had a habit of going to the library and reading books. Back in 1973, when I was a student, I came across a young author who used to regularly come at the library and showed his works to everyone. His writings made me think that I can also write and that small thought inspired me much to start writing. That was my first attempt at stepping into the enormous world of literature. 

PHILOSOPHY

My philosophy is to love others. Therefore, the commitment of loving the people inspires me to serve for the nation through my writings. This led me to be associated with various thoughts of different people, their obstacles, their personal crisis and so on. I am always trying to discover the facts behind the mystery of their thoughts and their lives as well.

VIEWS ON HIS PROFESSION

The massive world of literature is extensively related to education. Literature does not directly command anyone to do anything, rather it indirectly frames a person's mind and allows the person to think ethically. To me, being an editor and a novelist is a very suitable combination. The two professions I am a part of may not be the same, but they are interrelated. Furthermore, there is no alternative for reading to enrich knowledge and thoughts. I warmly welcome our young generation to practice reading and focus more on gathering knowledge to feel the ceaseless beauty of literature. 

MUSIC

My thirst for music is inexpressible. Consequently, Hemanta Mukhopadhyay, Manna Dey, Lata Mangeshkar, Sandhya Mukhopadhyay and Shyamal Mitra are some of my favorite singers. I love Rabindra Sangeet the most; and accordingly, Rezwana Choudhury Bannya is one of my most favorite singers. 

FILMS

In my entire life, I have watched a huge number of movies of different languages. In case of Bengali movies, I am a die-hard fan of Satyajit Ray. I can proudly say that I have watched all of his films.  

BOOKS

Since childhood, reading books has always been an addiction to me. So, it would be a very tough job to select a specific name as my favorite book. In case of Bengali literature, of course the Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore comes first. The writings of Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay, Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay, Samaresh Basu, Akhteruzzaman Elias and Syed Shamsul Haque are my favorites. The writings of the Spanish author Gabriel Marquez and the Japanese author Haruki Murakami are also my favorites. Among all, "Kobi" by Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay enchants me every time I go through the book. 

FUTURE PLAN

I usually remain busy writing books year round. This year, I have seven to eight new books for the "Omor Ekushey Boimela". There are two books based on the liberation war of our nation named "Noy Mash" and "Maa-Meyer Upakhyan". Other newly published books include "Rojonigondha Phul" in which the protagonist wants to make a village, and "Tumi Khub Bhalo Meye" which is a story about a young girl's emotional dilemma. Like every year, I have some books for the children. A horror story, "Gaa Chomchom", an adventurous story "Nijhum Nishirate" and two comedy story books named "Bumar Joto Hashir Kando" and "Shob Choritro Hashir" are also being published. Additionally, there are about 30 to 40 old story books which are being re-published. 

IDOL

Samaresh Basu, the outstanding Bengali writer, is my idol. The way he presented his thoughts was different from others and probably this is the reason behind me honoring him as my idol.



By Shawreen Rahman