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Himani Bannerji

2 Published Works

Author · Contributor

Himani Bannerji is an essayist and a translator. She is Professor of Sociology at York University, Canada and the editorial advisor of the Bangla Journal. Her publications include A Separate Sky (1982); Ideological Condition – Selected essays in history, race and gender (2020).

Published Works

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Reflections on Alexandra Kollontai

This year I reread Alexandra Kollontai’s writings after a long time. In the 1970s and the 80s when a wave of Marxist feminism was gathering strength, some works of Kollontai, such as, the Autobiography of a Sexually Emancipated communist Woman, Love of the Worker Bees and Red Love, gained attention. I am not sure to what extent they were closely studied, but feminist activist authors like Sheila Rowbotham gave her some prominence in discussing the impact of patriarchy on capital and class.

Appears in December 2023 20th Year 28th Issue (2023) Read Article →

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Poems of Manabendra Bandyopadhyay

Manabendra is mainly known in both Bengals as a great translator of poetry, introducing the Bangali reader to different poetic voices from various parts of the world. Poetry from Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, west Asia, and Eastern Europe, among other regions, reached us through his unceasing dedication to ‘world literature’ and poetry of resistance and dissent. His translations tried to offer the reader a directly poetic, rather than mediated, experience of other spaces, and it takes a little effort to remember when we read them that they were not written in Bangla. To achieve this effect Manabendra used a master craftsman’s skills in Bangla language, metrics and rhythms. Where needed he innovated in the language and the styles creating, what I would call, a new kind of Bangla poetry, a gift to fellow poets and readers. But, most importantly, what needs to be stressed is that he could not do this if he himself were not a remarkable poet. He left us a body of notable self-authored literature, most notable among them are his books of poems. These books are taste-changing and amazing reading experiences, unlike anything else that passes as poetry in Bangla poetic aesthetic.

Appears in December 2022 19th Year 27th Issue (2022) Read Article →