Kazi Nazrul Islam : Selections 2 (Paperback)

Kazi Nazrul Islam (1899-1976) is better known today as a poet and lyricist. However, his first printed work was a short story, "Baundeler Atmakahini," published in Saogat, May 1919. During the years that he spent at Karachi, he kept on sending short stories to Calcutta periodicals. He would go on to write a total of nineteen short stories as well as three novels: Bandhon Hara (1927), Mrityukshudha (1930) and Kubelika (1931). In May 1920, with the launch of Nabajug, of which Kazi Nazrul Islam and Muzaffar Ahmed were joint editors, Nazrul embarked on his journalistic career. Nabajug was shut down after eight months for political reasons, but Nazrul would take up the profession of journalism again, writing essays on various aspects of the socio- political situation of the country. Apart from his deposition speech, given as a political prisoner, Nazrul would also give speeches at political and cultural gatherings.
Beginning as a short story writer, Nazrul would go on to write nineteen more short stories, published in various journals and - with the exception of one - later included in Byathar Dan (1922), Rikter Bedan (1925) and Shiulimala (1931). Eight of Nazrul's stories have been included in this volume: "Byathar Dan," "Badal-Borishoney," "Rajbandir Chithi," "Baundeler Atmakahini," "Rakshushi," "Swamihara," "Salek," and "Padma Gokhro." While "Byathar Dan," "Badal-Borishoney," "Rajbandir Chithi," and "Baundeler Atmakahini," like some of his other short stories, are male-centric, "Rakshushi," "Swamihara," and "Padma Gokhro" are remarkable for their insight into the female psyche. This sensitivity to and empathy with women is also noticeable in Nazrul's novels, particularly Bandhon Hara and Mrityukshudha. The story "Salek" illustrates a verse from Hafiz - whom Nazrul had studied while at Karachi with a Punjabi moulvi and some of whose work he had also translated later.