The Department of English and Modern Languages (DEML) at North South University is pleased to announce the second offering of its Certificate Course in Creative Writing, set to begin in Summer 2026. This innovative seven-week intensive program is designed to cultivate the next emerging literary voices by providing a structured, mentor-led environment that emphasises Bangladesh’s rich cultural narratives.

On June 6 and 7, 2026, at Goethe-Institut, Dhanmondi, Zine Mela Dhaka 2026 was held, organised by Sister Library (Dhaka) and Colors Publishing. The two-day event brought together independent artists, writers, and creators to celebrate self-publishing, artistic expression, and community engagement.

When the MasterChef favourite Kishwar Chowdhury and writer Samai Haider caught up to talk about Chowdhury’s debut cookbook Smoke, Rice, Water (Hardie Grant Books, 2026), the conversation quickly morphed into something much larger than publishing deadlines and recipe testing.

Not every story ends with rejoicing. Not all questions are answered within one lifetime. Not everyone will get to fulfil their dreams. All my protagonists are incomplete until the end. And the end itself offers no catharsis. It’s the same darkness that was present when the reader met them the first time. I write about the world and the people within it the way I have experienced the world.

Satrapi offered a deeply personal account of life under Iran’s Islamic regime while creating a story that resonated with readers worldwide

The bilingual poetry collection Adivasi Premikar Mukh: The Portrait of an Adivasi Beloved, (Oitijjhya, 2026) by journalist, poet, and fiction writer Ehasan Mahamud was launched on Monday, May 18, at the Kabi Shamsur Rahman Seminar Room of Bangla Academy, Dhaka. The event was organised by Oitijjhya Publications and moderated by Mostafa Mushfiq.

Bengal Shilpalay in Dhanmondi, Dhaka hosted a two-day literary event on May 15 and 16, consisting of a memorial lecture and a discussion session organised by Bengal Foundation and Kali O Kalam. The event, organised with the participation of prominent researchers, writers, and artists of the country—brought up literature, culture, social thought, and various contemporary issues.

On April 25, The Reading Circle celebrated its 20th anniversary with the launch of Stories My Grandma (Never) Told Me at Ajo Idea Space in Gulshan-2. Published by Nymphea Publication, the anthology brings together stories exploring family secrets, memory, and women’s histories.

Banu Mushtaq, an Indian writer who writes in Kannada language, was awarded the International Booker Prize in 2025 for “exploring the lives of those often on the periphery of society” in her collection of short stories, Heart Lamp (And Other Stories Publishing, 2024).

The winners of the 2026 Pulitzer Prizes have been announced, recognising publications, publication staff, individual journalists, and authors across 23 award categories for journalism, reporting, criticism, photography, authorship, and overall excellence in their fields. The winners for each category were announced on May 4,2026 via live broadcasts on the Pulitzer Prizes website and YouTube channel.

North South University’s Department of English and Modern Languages (DEML) hosted the closing ceremony for its inaugural Certificate Course in Creative Writing on 25 April 2026. The event, executed successfully through the combined efforts of DEML faculties and students alike, was attended by Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Nasar U. Ahmed, Treasurer Prof. Abdur Rob Khan, and DEML Chair Dr Nazia Manzoor, among other distinguished faculty members of various departments at NSU.

As part of the university’s 2026 Earth Day celebration, the Department of English and Humanities at the University of Liberal Arts, Bangladesh (DEH-ULAB) organized a book discussion event on Tuesday, April 21, centered on climate fiction (cli-fi) and how fiction can provide not only parallels and premonitions for our present and future but also bring a wider audience’s attention to perhaps the single most important issue of our time. The event, titled “Lines on a Drying Map: Communities, Conflict, Currents, and Cli-Fi”

Two Palestinian writers, Omar Hamad and Ibrahim Massri, have been working since late 2025 to build a library in Gaza during the ongoing genocide. The Phoenix Library is located in the heart of Gaza City and, per a post from the library’s Twitter/X account, is fast approaching its official opening date despite the Gaza Strip and all of occupied Palestine still being subject to Israeli apartheid violence.

The 2026 International Booker Prize shortlist has been announced, recognizing six outstanding works of fiction from around the world translated into English. The award, known formerly as the Man Booker International Prize, celebrates the best works of long-form fiction or collections of short stories translated into English and published in the UK and/or Ireland.

Celebrated author and activist Arundhati Roy’s 2025 memoir Mother Mary Comes to Me (Penguin, 2025) continues to solidify its place in the zeitgeist and its cultural impact well into 2026, with its recent win at this year’s US National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) Award in the Autobiography category.

From now on, selected works of representative Bangladeshi poets will now be available on the Lyrikline platform

The exhibition reimagines the book as a tactile, textile based vessel for memory, currently on view at Alliance Française Dhaka from March 10-18, 2026.

Even after the organisers and Bangla Academy offered a 55 percent subsidy on stall costs, a significant number of publishers maintained their decision to not participate.

On January 18, 2026 novelist and essayist Md Ashanur Rahman was awarded The International Creative Arts Award 2025 by the International Creative Arts, Language & Development Research Centre of the University of Dhaka for his outstanding contribution to literature and its role in Enriching Minds and Inspiring Lives. 

The six-week intensive program offers beginners and budding writers mentor-led guidance in fiction, poetry, and nonfiction, focusing on Bangladeshi cultural narratives