Galpamala 1 by Narendra Nath Mitra [Hardcover]

A little while ago, a book on contemporary India was published in French. It contained only one representative story from India. The name of the story is "Headmaster", written by Narendra Nath Mitra. The event is intriguing, but not surprising—especially for readers who are familiar with the world of short stories and with Narendra Nath Mitra’s own short stories.

In this context, one is reminded of how Abu Sayeed Ayub, in an article, had referred to Narendra Nath's story "Bikalpa" as having "elevated to the level of the greatest short stories in the world" (see: Saptahik Desh, 18.2.78). One also recalls that discussion in Anandabazar Patrika (14.3.83), where the contemporary master storyteller Santosh Kumar Ghosh openly wrote, "Telling a story in the purest artistic form while maintaining the clearest essence of art is Narendra Nath’s magic, his strength, everything. And effortlessly, he achieves this. In that, he stands alongside Maupassant, O. Henry, Chekhov, and even Rabindranath." Narendra Nath Mitra's position in Bengali short stories was established long ago. From the very beginning of his writing career, he has been a distinctive figure. He has written more short stories than novels, and in those volumes, contemporary life is immortalised.

Unfortunately, Narendra Nath Mitra's story collections have become quite rare in recent years. Yet, scholars, filmmakers, and avid readers still seek out his various stories. In response to this demand, this collection has been published, consisting of fifty memorable stories of Narendra Nath Mitra in various lengths and themes. The selection aims to clearly highlight the shifts in his storytelling and the continuity of his artistic perspectives over different decades. At the beginning of the collection, the author’s self-reflective statement "The Story of Writing Stories" has been included. The publication dates of the stories in this collection are noted in an appendix.

From every angle, this anthology stands as a representative collection of one of Bengali literature’s prideful storytellers - “Galpamala” (The Garland of Stories).