Bangla

[close] Group for Bangla book lovers.

[close] The name of our book club uses the endonym for the Bengali people. This term "Bangali (বাঙালি)", refers to a person originating from West Bengal, Tripura, Assam or Bangladesh, emphasizing the local term used by the people of the third-largest ethnic group in the world to refer to themselves. Our book club explores books by and about the global Bangali community, focusing on identity, migration, culture, history, and belonging. We aim at fostering connection through shared stories and literature and to provide a space for discussion and reflection. The next book selection will happen on February 21, 2027, on Language Mouvement Day. - Members may submit 1–2 book suggestions per cycle. - Organizers will shortlist 6 books based on thematic balance, length & accessibility and diversity of voices. - Members vote (online poll), top 3 books are selected for the cycle. Meetings are announced in advance. Every year, we will have at least three (3) meetings, on or around the following dates : - April 14/15, Pohela Boishakh. - August 5, July Mass Uprising Day. - December 16, Victory Day. One book per meeting. Participating members will receive a reading schedule with page breakdown and key themes. Reminders will be sent 1 week and also 1 day before meetings. Books should ideally meet at least one of the following: - Written by a Bangali author. - Focused on themes of diaspora, migration, identity, memory, or culture. - Relevant to Bangali history, politics, or social realities. Genres may include: Fiction (novels, short stories), Non-fiction (essays, memoirs, history), Poetry or Graphic novels or hybrid works. Currently, all our meetings are scheduled to happen online. Microsoft Teams is the selected software by our Book Club. In the near future, we would like to have hybrid meetings where some members can meet in-person while other members can continue to participate remotely. The locations for the hybrid meetings are TBD.

[close] A group with reading material relevant to The Indian Subcontinent Partition Documentation Project.

[close] Language can be medium of reading, can't be a bar. Though we are passionate about some languages specially the mother tongue. Books written in Bengali and Bengali writers from both India (West Bengal) and Bangladesh are included. Books translated in Bengali are included also. Books written by Bengali writers in other language are also welcome.