The Little Mag Chattar (magazines published by different literary organisations or groups of writers are fondly called little mags) of the Amar Ekushey Book Fair is suffering from a lack of book lovers.
The chattar, located beside the Mukto Mancha of Suhrawardy Udyan, is part of the ongoing month-long Amar Ekushey Book Fair. It has remained mostly empty of visitors even though eleven days have already passed.
Many stalls did not sell any books ever since the fair began. Most of the allotted stalls did not open in the first week of the fair. Moreover, a significant number of little magazine stalls among the allocated 170 were found closed on Sunday.
Jobair, a salesman of Nobo Vobona Magazine, said, “The sales representatives of the Chattar stand idly without visitors all day long. Only those writers who write in these magazines usually visit this area.
Many writers alleged that the Little Mag chattar was not assigned a good position in the fair.
Fazle Rabbi, translator and proprietor of Saphalya magazine, says, “We have been sidelined by the classification of places. In the evening it is very dark here. Many people do not understand what is going on here. It seems like this part does not belong to the book fair.”
The Little Mag Chattar of the Amar Ekushey Grantha Mela is considered to be the birthplace of new writers who cannot publish their literary work at their own expense.
Little magazines were a major source of inspiration for bold and reformist writers and readers due to their unconventional publications while little magazine stalls were known as a platform where readers and young writers discussed, argued and exchanged their views.
92 titles hit book fair Sunday
A total of 92 titles hit the Amar Ekushey Book Fair on Sunday.
At the programme “Lekhok Bolchi,” Poet Sarkar Masud, Fiction writer Nuruddin Jahangir, Essayist and Researcher Mohammad Zainuddin and Drama Researcher Mahfuza Hilali discussed their new books.
A discussion titled “Birth Centenary Tribute: Kalim Sharafi” was held at the main stage of the fair on the Bangla Academy premises at 4pm. Sarwar Murshed presented the article while Rezwana Choudhury Bannya presided over the event.
Mahmud Selim and Golam Kuddus also participated in the programme.
Besides, another discussion titled “Birth Centenary Tribute: Hena Das” will be organised at the main stage of the fair on Bangla Academy grounds at 4pm on Monday. Zobaida Nasrin will present the article, while Shirin Akhter will preside over the event.
Zhorna Rahman and Faozia Moslem will also participate in the programme.
