Pabitra Sarkar, a linguist, literary critic, academician, and actor, inaugurated the eighth iteration of Apeejay Bangla Sahitya Utsob (ABSU), the first Bengali literary festival in India organized by the Oxford Bookstores.

During the opening of the eighth edition of ABSU to honor the Oxford Bookstore’s centennial jubilee, the opening of Bengali Little Magazine Corner at the legendary Oxford Bookstore on Park Street was announced. In India, there are about 2000 little publications published in Bengali. To reach a larger audience, the Oxford Bookstore’s online store is also thinking about offering these Bengali Little Magazines online. With a minor revenue-sharing arrangement, it will be a free platform.

Currently, the Bengali Little Magazine segment lacks a platform to display its extensive body of written work. The goal of ABSU is to introduce Bengali literature to a global audience. And, despite producing excellent literary work, Bengali Little magazines have struggled to reach a wider audience.  This is part of their effort as a 100-year bookstore to promote Bengali literature all over the world.

When launching the eighth edition of ABSU, Pabitra Sarkar praised the Oxford Bookstore for its initiative and said “The Oxford Bookstore has created a fantastic initiative. There used to be some stands selling Bengali Little Magazines on the streets of Kolkata. They are disappearing. The Oxford Bookstore giving them a location is the best possible news for the Bengali Little Magazine section. The literature that small magazines publish is distinctive and not frequently found in mainstream culture, and they have devoted readers. This program will benefit the small magazine community, its writers, and its readers greatly”.

Over the past seven years, ABSU has developed and is now celebrated and eagerly anticipated by Bengali literature and culture enthusiasts in India and worldwide. The official Apeejay Bangla Sahitya Utsob Facebook Page and YouTube channel will stream ABSU 2022 LIVE on all three of the days—November 25, 26, and 27—reflecting the event’s widespread popularity. This would make it possible for Bengali literature lovers from around the world to fully engage in this literary and cultural feast that transcends space and time.

The eighth edition of ABSU will host eminent personalities like Pabitra Sarkar, Himadrikishore Dasgupta, Ashoke Viswanathan, Samik Bandyopadhyay, Abul Bashar, Rupam Islam, Sujog Bandyopadhyay, Binod Ghosal, Kheyali Dastidar, Rahul Banerjee Arunoday, Biswanath Basu, Jayanta Ghosal, Snehasis Sur, Tilottama Majumdar, Debasish Deb, Mandakranta Sen, Ullas Mallick, Krishnendu Mukhopadhyay, Raja Bhattacharya, Dipanwita Ray to name a few. This eclectic curation has been done under the stewardship of former radio jockey Roy Choudhury and as advised by Himadrikishore Dasgupta.

For more information, visit the Apeejay Bangla Sahitya Utsob Social Media Pages:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/absulitfest

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/absulitfest

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/absulitfest

Website: https://absuonline.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/absulitfest