Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, the Senate's first Asian-American woman and only current immigrant, is working on a memoir.

Viking announced Tuesday that the book, currently untitled, will come out in 2021.

Hirono, 72, will write about emigrating at age 8 to the United States after her mother fled an abusive marriage in Japan. In a statement issued through Viking, Hirono said the book was a tribute to her mother's spirit and a chance "to bear witness on her behalf by telling the story of the daughter she inspired to live boldly."

Hirono, a Democrat, made news last year as a leading critic of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who faced allegations of sexual harassment and attempted assault. Kavanaugh, who was narrowly confirmed, denied the allegations.

The fourth Maritime Silk Road International Arts Festival will be held in Quanzhou, east China's Fujian Province, from Nov. 22 to 27.

The event will feature art performances, a forum on art development and an online arts festival, organizers said in a press conference in Beijing.

Jointly organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the government of Fujian Province, the festival has attracted over 1,200 artists and 130 troupes from more than 40 countries and regions, including the Republic of Korea, Japan, Thailand and Indonesia.

The event was initiated in 2014 and established a biennial festival a year later in 2015.

During this year's festival, visitors will be invited to immerse themselves in the arts with a series of public activities around the ancient city of Quanzhou, as well as in local universities and businesses.

Zontians, including centennial celebration committee of Zonta International and Zonta Club presidents, attended a programme titled ‘No World for Women’ at Dhaka Lit Fest (DLF) on Friday at Bangla Academy.

A panel consisting of international and local women’s right activists, gender specialists and advocates discussed solutions for global problems of crimes and violence against women, a press release said. 

Dilruba Ahmed, the regional representative of centennial anniversary endowment campaign coordinator of Zonta International and Zonta International Past Board Director also spoke about Zonta Centennial and Women’s empowerment, it said.

Founded in 1919 in Buffalo, New York, Zonta International, known as leading advocate for women’s rights, has expanded into 63 countries around the world. 

It is an International Service Organisation of women in business or profession working with the mission of advancing the status of women through service and advocacy.

It also said that Zontians are committed to make its centennial celebration insightful, inspiring and successful, encouraging for men and women, realising that for any nation to prosper there must be gender equality to uphold the principles of social justice. 

The gifts given by Zonta International will empower women and girls around the world and help it reach its centennial goals, the statement said.

“We’re proud to be members of an organisation that is working for women empowerment for the past 100 years,” the press release issued from Dhaka said. 

Zonta International envisions a world where all women have rights to reach everywhere with her full potential and live without fear, violence, and shame. 

‘Preema Donna – An Infinite Journey’, a book by prominent Bangladeshi visual artist Nazia Andaleeb Preema, was unveiled at the Dhaka Lit Fest on Friday.

Published and produced by Cosmos Books, the book’s foreword has been written by National Professor Dr Anisuzzaman.

The book, divided into five chapters, depicts Preema’s artistic journey of two decades.

‘Preema Donna – An Infinite Journey’ also illustrates Preema’s brave approach of aesthetical vision that depicts her philosophy of context. 

“This publication is my inspiration to be more committed towards my intense journey of creativity,” said Preema.

She dedicated the book to the next generation of creative minds to proceed with their passion in art.

Preema graduated from the Dhaka University with a Masters of Fine Arts degree in drawing and painting. 

She represented Bangladesh at La Biennale di Venezia this year.

She has won various awards, along with the BASIS award in the Visual Arts category and Anannya award for being an outstanding woman in the creative field.

Preema is currently working as the Director of Bangladesh Brand Forum. She is also the President of Women in Leadership and founder of Bangladesh Creative Forum.

She is constantly expressing the representation of women in a metaphorical – whether traditional or digital – through her canvas in a poetic manner.

As part of the Dhaka Lit Fest 2019, a discussion on Friday commemorated the works of Bangladesh’s founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his role as a phenomenal leader of postcolonial era.

The discussion took place at Abdul Karim Shahitya Bisharad auditorium in Bangla Academy where Indian writer Shashi Tharoor, historian Afsan Chowdhury, poet and government official Kamal Chowdhury expressed their thoughts. 

Former Indian minister of state for external affairs and writer Tharoor reflected on the vitality of Bangabandhu's leadership after partition. 

“The original postcolonial liberators had the advantage of fighting for freedom from a foreign power ... [but] in the case of Sheikh Mujib, he had already witnessed that moment of liberation. The foreigners were gone ... he became the first leader in the postcolonial system to interrogate what identity it meant and to do so through enormous struggle," he said. 

He further mentioned that during his term as Prime Minister, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman articulated the four pillars of the state very well to guide the nation.

“He had a tremendous ability to move people with his oratory, his language. He had a vision,” said Shashi Tharoor.

Eminent historian and researcher Afsan Chowdhury noted that since partition Bangabandhu sought for a state free from all kind of oppression and added that Bangabandhu “was never loyal to Pakistan”.

He mentioned that Bangabandhu realised the power of peasantry of Bengal region very well and won them over with his leadership. 

"Sheikh Mujib was not interested in any other region, he just wanted a Bengal region of what he saw a peasantry region," he said.

"In 1947, Pakistan comes into being. In 1948, first strike against Pakistsn is called. If Sheikh Mujib was pro Pakistan, then he'd have never called the strike," he added.

Poet Kamal Chowdhury highlighted the contributions of Bangabandhu in rebuilding the country after liberation.

"Bangabandhu's whole life is an epic tale," he said. 

He also credited him for the founding of first state driven by nationalism.

"First nationalist state in South Asia was established by Bangabandhu," he said.

Kamal Chowdhury also discussed government plans to celebrate Bangabandhu’s 100th birth anniversary next year.