Top literati and diplomatic community came together Thursday for a cultural evening hosted by Turkish Ambassador Mustafa Osman Turan.

What ensued was a lively discussion on art, storytelling and plural identities followed by short readings by the authors.

The event marked the launch of an anthology of contemporary short stories and poems published by the University Press Limited (UPL), curated by author Shazia Omar, called "Golden: Bangladesh at 50."

The collection includes pieces by both published and unpublished writers, some from those living in Bangladesh, others from the diasporas in New York, Chicago, London, Rome, San Francisco, Hong Kong and Toronto.

Ambassador Mustafa Turan said: "In many ways Turkey and Bangladesh are similar. Our people love music, stories and poetry. We need to explore ways to encourage and support creativity and expression in a big way as this is how new ideas are born. We look forward to extending cultural exchange with Bangladesh."

Mahrukh Moinuddin, managing director of the UPL – the publisher of the book, said: "I loved the collection and was happy to publish it as a gift to readers."

Sabrina Fatma Ahmad, the founder of Sehri Tales, wrote "Fultokka" – a story about childhood, bullies, and lessons of empathy.

Farah Ghuznavi – editor of "Lifelines" and writer of "Fragments of Riversong," a short story collection – and Nadia Kabir Barb, author of "Truth or Dare," offer stories of childhood and school days, each with different lessons.

Shazia's story in the collection is about an arrogant girl who becomes disillusioned with the mechanics of society as she comes to face extreme isolation when the pandemic strikes. Forced to make a choice, she chooses a return to nature, where she finds peace by connecting to universal love.

The author has written two novels – "Dark Diamond" and "Like a Diamond in the Sky." She is now working on two children's stories slated to be published by Guba Books next year.

One of the poems in the collection, "I Don't Deserve You," by Namira Hossain depicts the power struggles of a relationship. Namira is an intuitive therapist and professional tarot card reader.

Nahyan Ameen has given a story that explores the dynamics of life in Dhaka, where class and status play a role in people's fate and identity.

"When Shazia asked me to contribute a poem, I told her I didn't have any stories about the war of independence. She then told me she wants stories about what it is to be Bangladeshi. This poem reflects the fear many of us hold of abandonment and unworthiness," Namira said.

The authors have collectively portrayed the problems and realities of Bangladesh as well as its beauty and power.

"The collection of stories and poems is a way of honouring all that we have learned, yearned for, found and let go. The stories explore our love for and worries about this country," Shazia said.

Other writers and poets featured in the anthology include Mahmud Rahman, Nadeem Zaman, Sabrina Ahmad, Srabonti Narmeen Ali, Kaiser Haq, Neeman Sobhan, Arif Anwar, Sabahat Jahan, Lubna Mariam, Zeeshan Khan, Abeer Y Hoque, Shabnam Nadiya, Maria Chaudhuri, MK Aaref, Salahdin Imam, Munize Manzur and Iffat Nawaz.