On Friday, the ongoing 10th edition of Dhaka Lit Fest (DLF) featured a handful of exciting and interesting events for the little ones, including a storytelling session by Hong Kong-based Bangladeshi writer-scholar Maria Chaudhuri of her brand new book for children titled ‘Nobo Opens a Door’. At the Nazrul Stage in the afternoon, Maria Chaudhuri read from the book surrounded by child listeners and introduced them to the character Nobo, an adventurous child who averts disaster at her school’s Pahela Baishakh festival with an imaginative twist on traditional sarees, followed by reimagining themselves by creating their own capes, just as Nobo does. Published in Bangladesh by Ignite Publications featuring Illustrations by Istela Imam, the book was launched on Friday introducing the title character, which is conceptualized by Nobo Dhaka -- a socially aware business enterprise set up to support the preservation of the cultural heritage and traditions of Bangladesh. Explaining the idea of the character and the book, Maria Chaudhuri told UNB that the reason she was particularly interested in writing Nobo is that this collaboration connects with a great passion. “The Dhaka society is constantly changing, and the values and experiences that our children are growing up with are completely different from our times. What we want to do with this book, as well as the entire series, is to create a space for the younger generation to talk about things in a way that reflects the different sets of values that they struggle with, in their reality right now.” “Although the society that we grew up in is constantly changing, that’s not to say people can’t follow tradition in a new way that works for them. That’s exactly what the character, Nobo, does in this book and series. She explores a twist within a traditional idea so that she can still be a part of the Bangla new year celebrations without feeling left alone. We have to recognise that the current generation struggles with traditional values to incorporate into their lifestyle, and they also have different sets of values due to living in a constantly changing world, especially after the pandemic.” “So this book based on the ‘social superhero’ character Nobo can remind the generations -- both children and their parents -- that culture is an ever-evolving phenomenon that we need to accept and get ourselves accustomed to, and we should celebrate our culture. My hope is that when a child reads this book, they will not only appreciate the culture visually but may absorb it more spiritually too,” Maria told UNB. Read more: Curtain rises on 10th Dhaka Lit Fest About the book, author and one of DLF's three directors, Kazi Anis Ahmed, wrote: "This is a wonderful and inventive tale about how tradition survives by being made new, again and again. And the courage it takes to do so. The young protagonist will be an inspiration to her peer-age readers. Chaudhuri's lilting, literary prose hits just the right tone. Nobo is a terrific new addition to our children's literature.”

The 10th edition of Dhaka Lit Fest officially began on Thursday, after a three-year hiatus due to the global Covid-19 pandemic. Revered as Bangladesh's biggest event showcasing world literature and culture with the participation of around 500 writers, poets, performers, intellectuals, journalists and internationally acclaimed prize-winning speakers, the 2023 edition is featuring 170 sessions during the four-day event. State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid inaugurated the event alongside Nobel laureate litterateur Abdulrazak Gurnah, and Indian writer-literary critic Amitav Ghosh at Bangla Academy's Abdul Karim Sahitya Bisharad (AKSB) auditorium in the morning. DLF Directors Sadaf Saaz Siddiqi, Kazi Anis Ahmed and Ahsan Akbar were also present at the inauguration ceremony. "After a long hiatus due to the pandemic, Dhaka Lit Fest is finally being held with the presence of global literary dignitaries. The Ministry of Cultural Affiars is proud to be associated with this prestigious event as always, and I wish the event the success it deserves," KM Khalid said at the ceremony. Indian writer and literary critic Amitabh Ghosh said, "I grew up hearing stories about Bangladesh as my grandmother was from Madaripur district and all her life, she had her Madaripuri accent. It was amazing for me growing up hearing this wonderful dialect, this wonderful language. However, Bangladesh was a kind of absence in my life as I live in India, and I think only those of us who have the experience of that separation can really understand what this absence means.” Nobel laureate writer Abdulrazak Gurnah said, "Unlike Amitav Ghosh, I cannot tell the story of how I began here and how I belong here because, for me, this is the first time coming to Dhaka and Bangladesh, or indeed, this whole side of the subcontinent,” he said. “So I’m expecting all kinds of revelations, events to happen that I have not seen before. And I’ve already got a bit of a taste from the performances earlier, the dance – the very beautiful dances – the lovely costumes, the music, and then that incredibly energetic performance by the drummers.” Earlier in the morning, the proceedings began with a performance of spiritual songs at the Bangla Academy lawn. Read more: Curtain rises on Dhaka Lit Fest 2023 Thursday The event remained suspended for three years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The ninth DLF was held in November 2019. Organizers say the historic Bangla Academy premises will become more vibrant due to the presence of eminent personalities from five continents, including two Nobel Prize-winning authors -- namely Orhan Pamuk and Abdulrazak. The event will feature winners of the Pulitzer, International Booker, Neustadt International, PEN/Pinter, Prix Médicis, Academy Award, Windham-Campbell Prize, Albert Medal, Waterstones Children's Book Prize, and Aga Khan Award. This event features with conversations, dialogues, film screenings, art exhibitions, music, cultural shows and much more. According to the organizers, only children up to 12 years of age will not need any ticket to enter. Read more: Dhaka International Folk Fest underway