“So much darkness”: Looking for the Light in Bitan Chakraborty’s The Mark, by Indrajit Bose

Book Reviews Indrajit Bose The author at the Zakir Hussain Delhi College during the Bengali Literary Festival 2018 / Photo courtesy of bitanchakraborty.com Simplicity and quiet elegance never fail to impress us. The effect of a good short story often is like a fugue or an adagio in a musical composition, creating impressions fugitifs, in the best manner of the impressionists, sketching in a mood or elaborating on a motif or theme. Bitan Chakraborty’s The Mark (Shambhabi Imprint, 2020) is unquestionably a collection of short stories revolving around the everyday lives of ordinary characters that leaves an impression of serious engagement with the contemporary Indian milieu and is also aesthetically pleasing. Chakraborty is already an established author of the novel; his foray into the short story adds a further dimension to his existing repertoire. A writer must “convincingly create an illusory world if he is to captivate his readers,” Chakraborty has said, and he appears to have lived up to his aesthetic or writerly principles in The Mark. Peripheral and marginal lives lived by characters grappling with the challenging socioeconomic realities of our times, mediated with narratorial control and poise—these are what make the stories in The Mark a testament to the craft of a storyteller and short fiction writer par excellence. The stories in the collection revolve around everyday life and broad human themes—the despair and... Continue reading at 'World Literature Today'

[ World Literature Today | 2020-04-21 13:18:37 UTC ]
News tagged with: #short stories #literary festival

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Mark Millar's superhero rise from comic book nerd to Netflix winner

How Scotsman made multi-million pound leap from page to screen with sale of Millarworld titles to US streaming giantLike many comic book writers and artists, Mark Millar’s love of comics began as a young child when his older brother would take him to comic book shops. But now the Scottish author... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2017-08-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pasquale's 'dark and surreal' horror stories to Caffeine Nights

Caffeine Nights Publishing has signed world rights to a collection of "dark and surreal" horror stories from comedian Joe Pasquale. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-08-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Netflix acquires Mark Millar's comics publishing house (updated)

Mark Millar is a well-known name in the world of comics, which is why today's announcement is such a big deal. Netflix has revealed that it's acquired Millarworld, Millar's comic book empire, and will be creating original movies and TV shows from the... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2017-08-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Trade Sales Were a Bright Spot In a Dark Year for Sales

A 1.5% increase in trade sales wasn't enough to offset declines overall industry sales in 2016. which saw a 5.1% fall. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-08-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sheet Cheat: New Cookbooks Mark the Rise of Sheet-Pan Cooking

Nothing excites home cooks—or publishers—like a one-tool meal. And a spate of forthcoming titles tout one of the most humble kitchen essentials, the basic sheet pan, as the only thing you need to make a robust meal. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-08-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Mark Edwards signs three more with Thomas & Mercer

Amazon Publishing’s Thomas & Mercer imprint has acquired three more psychological thrillers by Mark Edwards. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-07-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Wildfire pre-empts 'dark' debut Blood Orange

Wildfire has pre-empted a debut thriller, Blood Orange by Harriet Tyce, exploring the power of desire, jealousy and betrayal.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-07-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Duchess marks 70th birthday with book giveaway

Literacy organisations celebrated the Duchess of Cornwall’s upcoming 70th birthday by delivering 70 primary schools a set of 70 books and specially designed bookshelves. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-07-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Intensely dark' debut thriller Him to Orion

Orion Fiction has acquired two novels by debut crime author Clare Empson, the first of which is an "intensely dark" thriller called Him. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-07-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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WH Smith sells exclusive short stories to mark 225th birthday

W H Smith is selling seven exclusive short stories from writers including Jeffrey Archer, James Patterson and Jodi Picoult to celebrate its 225th anniversary. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-07-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bookshops weave some magic to mark Harry Potter’s 20th anniversary

Bookshops around the country are unveiling a host of magical events — including Quidditch Pong, Harry Potter Bingo and Horcrux hunts—to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the publication of J K Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Bloomsbury). Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-06-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Mahey-Morgan: Diverse stories important in current 'dark times'

Diverse stories in today’s “dark times” have never been more important, Crystal Mahey-Morgan, founder of OWN IT! said at the launch of No Place To Call Home. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-06-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Screenwriter Mark Illis' first children's book to Quercus

Quercus Children's Books has acquired author and screenwriter Mark Illis' first children's book, The Impossible, and its sequel.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-06-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BookExpo 2017: Seventh Street Books Marks Fifth Anniversary

It’s only been five years since the start of Seventh Street Books—the mystery, thriller, and crime fiction imprint of Prometheus Books—but there’s reason to celebrate, and it’s happening in the Prometheus Books booth (2706). Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-06-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Fielding and Tóibín events mark Hay's opening weekend

Hay Festival's first weekend has kicked off with a host of events featuring writers including Colm Tóibín, Helen Fielding and Stephen Fry who discussed issues such as using flashbacks in writing, criticisms of anti-feminism and "aggregating news agencies" such as Facebook. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-05-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hay Festival marks 30 years with book of conversations

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[ The Bookseller | 2017-05-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Palestine Festival of Literature Marks Its First Decade in Ramallah, Jerusalem, Haifa, and Nablus

In its 10th year, ‘PalFest’ travels through military checkpoints to its various venues’ audiences and prepares for the publication of an anniversary book from Bloomsbury. By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson ‘This Is Not a Border’ Releases in July n its 10th year, the Palestine... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-05-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Mark Zuckerberg should try living in the real world | John Naughton

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[ The Guardian | 2017-05-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pontas marks 25 years as a home for writers worldwide

The Barcelona-based agency that is global in both mindset and client list invited its authors to toast its quarter-century. Katherine Cowdrey meets the woman who founded the firm. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-05-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Powerhouse Spanish Agency Pontas Literary Marks 25 Years

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-04-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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