SEKALER GOYENDA KAHINI Vol-4

• Editor: অরিন্দম দাশগুপ্ত (Arindam Dasgupta)
• Genre: Upanyas (Novel)
• Format: Hardcover
• ISBN: 9789354256615
• Pages: 532
• Weight: 775 grams
• Publisher: Ananda Publishers

Synopsis:
This book explores the forgotten legacy of women writers in early Bengali detective fiction. While the enthusiastic readership of detective stories included many women—from housewives to educated young women—their contributions as authors often remained overlooked. The challenges they faced were immense: lack of recognition, limited publishing opportunities, and strong criticism from a male-dominated literary world.

Despite these barriers, between 1918 and 1942, around thirty detective novels written by women were published in book form, while many others were serialized in newspapers and magazines. Female authors also translated English detective stories, proving their literary prowess was equal to their male counterparts.

This volume compiles a rare collection of these detective stories, most of which were originally published in magazines and later compiled into books. The book not only showcases the forgotten voices of Bengali women writers but also challenges misconceptions—such as the idea that male writers secretly ghostwrote these stories. The lack of a separate market for women’s detective fiction debunks such claims.

Through this collection, modern readers can rediscover the contributions of pioneering women in Bengali detective literature and enjoy a unique perspective on early 20th-century crime fiction.

About the Editor:
Arindam Dasgupta is a historian with degrees from Visva-Bharati University, Jadavpur University, and the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta. He has worked extensively on rare books, translations, and editorial projects. His works include the translation and editing of Miyajan Darogar Ekrar Nama, along with numerous rare book compilations.