Kolkata Book Fair 2014: The Most Unforgettable Book Fair

Since 2008, I'm deeply attached to the Kolkata Book Fair as I participate as a volunteer and member of Indo-Latin American Association & Spanish Study Center. But this 2014 Book Fair is the most memorable experience till now in my life.

Our Pavilion

As a participant, I worked not only in our well known pavilion but also we were invited to have seat in the pavilion Peru, the Focal theme of the Book Fair.

Me in our pavilion

We were to explain the Peruvian culture and literature principally to the visitors who couldn't realize the Peruvian display of  posters and books as all of these were presented in Spanish.

Our team with Francesca Denigri 

At the same time, we were to sell our translated books

the visitors

which included Poems of Peru, a travel log of Peru in Bengali ( Pothe Pothe Peru by Asesh Kumar Ray) , fourth edition of Natural History of Peru of Inca Garcileso de la Vega, Peruvian Traditions by Ricardo Palma etc. As we know that this is the melting pot of poets, singers, artists, I personally had to talk with contemporary Bengali novelist Abul Basar, composer and singer Anupam Ray etc when they visited our pavilion. Above all, our collaborated translation work Poems of Peru was also inaugurated in the presence of Peruvian Ambassador in India Javier Paulinich, poet Francesca Denigri and I was also a part as a translator of this work.

Reading program

What made me more encouraged was to see the more people interested in Latin American and Spanish culture and their vivid interaction with us, which seems far better then the scenario of 2008 when I participated for the first time.

Me with another participant Arjun in Peruvian pavilion

First book where I colaborated

30th January is one of the unforgettable days in my life. Our language academy Spanish Study Centre has done a collective plan to publish a Bilingual translation of Poems of Peru as this year in Kolkata International Book Fair Peru was the Focal Theme.

Inauguration of the book

Accordingly, I was awarded to translate few selective poems of  Jorge Eduardo Eielson, Jose Maria Eguren, Jose Santos Chocano, Porfirio Mamani Macedo and Yamili Yunis Herrera into English. With me the other collaborators included the chief Editor Asesh Kumar Ray, translators Atasi Chatterjee, Mahua Dutta and Prof. Rabin Pal.

Francesca Denigri is reading from the book

We finished our part much before the Book Fair started. On the eve the presence of Peruvian Ambassador in India Mr. Javier Paulinich, the book was launched. Our Editor in chief shared some moments about how much we struggled to translate and also our experience with this project. The Peruvian poet Francesca Denigri was also present in that over-crowded occasion. On 5th February in the same venue ( Pavilion of Peru) we were invited to read from the book and discuss about the translation with the cultural attache of Peru -Mr. Enrique Noria. Each of us read our own translations and then shared our points how much we had to struggle to reach at the quality translation of these eternal poems.

Reading my translation on 5th Feb.

Personally, I had to think a lot from point and view of an English speaking reader and how that reader can visualize a Peruvian poem through his/her perspective. But above all, it was a milestone in my tiny literary journey. The book is named 'Poems of Peru: Perur Kobita'

Posing with the book

Tribute to Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhay

His House

The entrance

Sunset at Ichchamoti

Recently, I visited the India-Bangladesh frontier village Panitar, just beside the river Ichchamoti. Panitar is not  only well known as one of the most important  frontier villages, but it is the birthplace of Gauri Devi, the first wife of famous Bengali novelist Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhay. He also stayed there for almost one year after their marriage and wrote some beautiful novels depicting the calm and quiet village ambiance with busy river. Unfortunately Gauri Devi died before giving birth to a child in 1928 and then , Bibhutibhushan left this place with grief, though he visited Panitar many times after the death of Gauri Devi, few times with his second and last wife Roma Devi too.

Mustard field

From then on, people call the house as Bibhutibhushan house and Gauri Devi's house as well. Now the house is in a wretched condition with the library in front surrounded by big trees an a white statue of him. When, I touched my feet to this land, I felt the beauty of silent nature what was mostly described in his entire writing.

Me beside his statue