The Year’s Best: Collection of Bengali Short Stories in Translation, 2025

About the Authors

Abhishek Jha is a Bangla language literary practitioner.

Basab Dasgupta began his literary journey in the 1980s with Bengali poetry. Over the years, he expanded into various literary forms and has been a consistent and dedicated contributor to Bengali literature for nearly twenty-five years through short stories, novels, poetry, and articles. Born in 1958 into a humble family in Kolkata, Dasgupta was deeply influenced by the cultural and intellectual environment around him. He played an active role in the Bengali Little Magazine movement and was closely involved in various social and cultural activities, including music, theater, and recitation. His profound interest in travel and exploration, combined with his social engagement, has significantly shaped the themes and depth of his works. Dasgupta is the editor of a well-known Bengali Little Magazine called Nillohit and has received several accolades for his literary contributions, including honors from the Bangladesh Writers Forum and Pashchimbanga Bangla Academy.

Biswadip Dey, born in 1980, is a journalist with a deep passion for literature. He has published eight books, which include both short stories and novels. His debut book, Ayna Manush, set the stage for his career, but he gained significant recognition with his second book, Holud Taxi. Following that, he released several other 186 works, including Nakshatrer Rat, Chaya Danob, and Last Tram, each exploring various emotions and themes. Throughout his career, Dey has received numerous awards, including the Epar Opar Sahitya Sammanana and the Shyamal Gangopadhyay Chotogolpo Somman.

Indrani Datta was born and raised in a suburb of Calcutta. She is an expatriate writer who began to uncover her writing talent after moving to a distant land. On her ongoing quest to find the perfect words to connect with her readers, Indrani has authored three collections of short stories and one novel.

Param Bhattacharjee resides in Silchar, located in the Borak Valley of Assam. Born in 1964, he has 40 years of experience in editing little magazines and news publications. Although he is not a frequent creative writer, he is well-known in the northeastern literary community. As of now, he has not published any anthologies.

Parthajit Chanda was born in a multilingual and multicultural district. He began writing at a young age but moved away for a few years. He has published several collections of poems and two collections of short stories. Additionally, five collections of articles on art and socio-cultural issues have been well received by both readers and critics. He has participated in various translation workshops and has translated poems by Indian, American, and European poets. Parthajit holds a postgraduate degree in English Literature and Language.

Shyamali Acharjya is currently working as a Senior Editorial Assistant in the Book Division at Aajkaal Publishing House Private Limited. Born in 1971 in Kolkata, she has a strong background in journalism, having been associated with several respected Bengali dailies, including Aajkaal, Khabor 365, and Abaar Jugantar. Shyamali has extensive experience writing features and cover stories for various Bengali newspapers, magazines, and webzines. Additionally, she served as the Departmental Editor for the Entertainment and Health section of the reputed daily Ekdin.

Subhro Maitra (born 1969) is a teacher from Malda, West Bengal, with a strong interest in reporting. He has been associated with various newspapers for many years. His documentation of eroded areas and the struggles of the people living there has garnered critical acclaim. Maitra has published three collections of stories: Duggakuruni Ebong (2020), Gedu Mandaler Udas Rog (2023), and Alochaya Ekti Biraler Naam (2025). His writings in different magazines have also received significant praise from readers.

Sunetra Sadhu was born on September 28th in Sainthia, Birbhum. Her journey with writing began in early childhood. She made her literary debut in a special edition of the prestigious monthly magazine Krittibas. Today, she is a recognized voice in contemporary Bengali literature and regularly contributes to prominent journals and digital platforms.

Tanwi Halder is a contemporary Bengali fiction writer renowned primarily for her short stories and novels. Her body of work includes nearly 200 short stories, 10 novels, and 3 poetry collections. She has received several prestigious awards, including the Somen Chanda and Sutapa Ray Chowdhury Awards from the Bangla Academy, as well as the Ila Chandra Award from the Bangiya Sahitya Parishad. One of her notable works, The God of the Manhole, is a collection that explores the lives of 50 marginalized individuals and has been recognized as a prescribed text at the postgraduate level. Halder’s writing is characterized by a deep engagement with the relationship between human experience and the natural world.

Tripti Santra is a renowned Bengali writer with a career spanning five decades, encompassing fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and translation. Her works shed light on the lives of marginalized communities, delving into the intersections of religion, caste, gender, and language in villages and small towns, particularly in Malda’s erosion-prone areas. Through her vivid storytelling and precise diction, she captures the cultural richness and social complexities of West Bengal. In 2025, she was honored with the Paschim Banga Bangla Academy Purashkar for her lifetime contribution to Bengali fiction.

About the Translators

Barnali Das is an independent researcher, writer, and translator. She holds a Master’s degree in English from Vidyasagar University and also has a B.Ed. Her work focuses on translation, teaching, and literary engagement across different languages and cultures.

Madhushree Das is a writer, translator, and poet based in Kolkata. She recently completed her postgraduate degree in English Literature and has received training in editing, publishing, and Bengali-English translation. Her interests include Gothic literature, feminist theory, mythology, language learning, historical fiction, and interdisciplinary approaches to literature. In addition to her creative and research work, she also writes poetry and paints.

Manjira Majumdar is currently an independent journalist based in Kolkata. She has edited an anthology of short stories that focus on displacement and has also written and translated short works of fiction from Bengali to English

Mara L. Thacker is the South Asian Studies and Global Popular Culture Librarian, as well as an Associate Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She has been studying Bangla since August 2020, completing a year-long online program through the American Institute of Indian Studies (AIIS) and a semester of study at AIIS in Kolkata in 2023. Professor Thacker has a particular interest in Bangla speculative fiction, with a focus on ghost stories and horror.

Dr. Nandini Gupta is a Professor of Electrical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur. In addition to her scientific publications on dielectrics and electrical insulation, she has translated modern Bangla poetry into English. Her translations have been featured in both national and international anthologies published by the Centre for the Art of Translation in San Francisco, Oxford University Press India, and others. Dr. Gupta regularly contributes translations to the Parabaas Webzine. In 2018, her translation of Buddhadeva Basu’s memoir was published by Parabaas under the title The Land Where I Found It All. She has also translated stories by contemporary writers for the Antonym Collections, with her most recent work being Sadique Hussain’s book of short stories, Giyas Ali’s Love and Other Stories.

Paromita Sengupta operates at the intersection of publishing and e-learning. She has translated children’s picture books for Tulika and Pratham Books. Additionally, she has written, translated, and adapted content for English textbooks used in ICSE schools, and her work has been featured in various online magazines. Paromita holds an M.Phil. degree in English literature from EFLU in Hyderabad and is currently learning French at an intermediate level. She is also an avid reader and a curious traveler.

Pritha Banerjee has completed her Master’s degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Delhi. In 2014, she was awarded the National Essay Writing Award by the SREI Foundation. She has worked as a writer and translator for the 191 Sankrityayan-Kosambi Study Circle. Her recent publications include articles in South Asian Women’s Narratives: Literatures of Their Own by Cambridge Scholars Publishing, as well as contributions to FIPRESCI India, Muse India, Pashyantee: A Bilingual Journal, and Anustup Prakashani.

Subhrasankar Das is a prominent figure in contemporary Indian literature, hailing from Tripura. He is a bilingual poet, celebrated translator, editor, critic, and educator. Known for subtlety, spontaneity, sharp satire, rich symbolism, and the concise brilliance of his poetry, he has published four collections, including An Anachronous Shower. His works have been featured in numerous anthologies and journals worldwide and translated into multiple languages. Das has translated important works by notable authors such as Shyamal Bhattacharya, Humayun Kabir Dhali, Partha Acharya, Padmashree Mazumder, and Xosiyat Rustamova. He has also served as the official curator of Poesia in Russia and has acted as a mentor for the AWP in Norfolk, Virginia. As the founder and editor of Shadowkraft and Water, he plays a crucial role in connecting Northeastern and international literary voices.

Sukti Sarkar retired from the Reserve Bank of India in Kolkata in 2019. She holds a postgraduate degree from Calcutta University and is a natural bibliophile, an avid traveler, a theatre worker, and a heritage enthusiast. After her retirement, she began exploring and enjoying the art of translation in collaboration with The Antonym Collections.

Urmi Chakravorty is a freelance writer and reviewer based in Bangalore, India. A former senior school educator, she has had her fiction, non-fiction, and poetry published in various outlets, including The Hindu, The Times of India, Deccan Herald, and Outlook Traveller, as well as over fifty literary magazines, journals, and anthologies across India, the USA, UK, Africa, Canada, UAE, and Singapore. Urmi believes in the therapeutic power of words. A tea enthusiast and travel lover, she also enjoys reading, listening to music, and spending time with community dogs.

About the Editors

Daradi Patar is a translator and book editor currently based in Guwahati. A post graduate in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology from Tezpur University, and an ex-employee of the leading international academic publishing house, Taylor & Francis, Daradi is now engaged full time in her passion of many years, translation. She has previously worked as a translator for reputed publishing houses like Banphool Publication, Westland Books, The Antonym, Storytel India, etc and has had her work published in The Indian Literature. Additional works of her include editing and translating for the Itihaashe Haatekhori series published by IDS Kolkata funded by Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung, translating the first Trilingual Anthology of Tiwa Poetry published by Tiwa Sahitya Sabha and reviewing children’s literature in translation for Xako Publication. She has also translated for the popular music label Project Baartalaap.

Nadia Imam is an editor and translator based in Kolkata, India. She works at the intersection of storytelling and language. She translates Bengali fiction into English and edits across genres, with a special interest in children’s literature. Her translated work includes Once Upon the Queens and contributions to The Year’s Best Bengali Stories in Translation 2024. She is currently working on her first novel.

About the Cover Designer

Graphic Designer & Book Designer Saikat Das currently working with Antonym Collections, specializing in book covers, layouts, and visual design for both print and digital platforms. Experienced in creating posters, banners, advertisements, social media content, and e-books with a strong focus on visual storytelling and brand consistency. An aspiring photographer and filmmaker, bringing a multidisciplinary creative approach backed by professional industry experience and a continuously evolving portfolio.