“I once dreamt of a man handing out rupee notes instead of handbills ...” Not only did Upal have such a dream, it was something he actually believed in and wished to accomplish someday. From a meagre background of almost non-existent means, Upal was plagued by unremitting and unpredictable hunger pangs. They drove him to abandon his scruples and grasp any and every opportunity which so much as flickered with the promise of money. He trampled his self-respect and clung like a parasite to childhood friend Subinoy’s household ... all for a square meal a day. From time to time, his conscience did attempt to awaken the human in him; but it was no match for the combined drive of Upal’s need and greed. Yet, was it worth? Did it open the doors to happiness? Or did Upal get taken for a ride in his own cart?
Soma Das
Soma Das is a freelance editor and translates Bengali fiction and non-fiction literary works into English. Her translations include the works of some renowned Bengali authors like Shankar, Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay, Nabaneeta Dev Sen, Gautam Bhattacharya and Tilottama Majumder. She lives in UK.
Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay
Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay, a very prominent presence in the realm of Bengali literature, was born in Bikrampur, Dhaka of Bangladesh in 1935. With his father being a railway employee, his childhood was spent in Bihar, Bengal and Assam. He graduated from Calcutta University and went on to obtain a Masters in Bengali. His first novel, Ghunpoka, was published in the Desh magazine. In 1985, he was awarded the Vidyasagar Puroshkar for his commendable work in the genre of literature for young adults. His very popular novel, Manabjameen was awarded the Sahitya Academy Award in 1988. He has also received the Ananda Puroshkar a couple of times. The vast and varied cache of his literary work includes novels and short stories for all age groups. Kagojer Bou, Ashchorjyo Pradip and Goynar Baksho have been adapted into movies. Besides writing, he is a voracious reader and intensely passionate about sports.
Soma Das
,Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay
Niyogi Books