Books by Manosh Chowdhury
Vernon, 2025
This is not an abstract, but rather an attempt to contextualize the book production as a problema... more This is not an abstract, but rather an attempt to contextualize the book production as a problematic of modern academia. This is not the entire book either—just the first few pages, like what happens in any book as a manufactured industry product.
I did a doctoral degree like most academics do, back in 2007, from Hiroshima University. Why a doctorate and why Hiroshima is altogether a different question and may bore you easily. To provide a perspective, although most academics need a doctorate to get hired, not in Bangladesh till now. So, Bangladeshi academics pursue a doctorate to get promoted, or to finish the global ritual, whatever. In my case, I was senior enough to not much benefit from a degree. Still, I did it, perhaps for a change (or to perform the ritual). Hiroshima was a consequential choice after many eventful things.
Why did a 2007 thesis take 18 years to get published as a book? This question is related to my ever-growing interest (or often lack of it as an author) in the publishing industry. This is a sweet irony that this book is kind of a byproduct of my almost-formal research on the global academic publishing nexus.
After a few attempts with a few publishers, Vernon decided to publish it. These pages recently were uploaded to their website. It should mean, I can circulate it without any 'legal' obligation and the book is in the printing.
I thank Carmen Blyth and Anisuzzaman Sohel. Carmen kept on pushing me at crucial moments. Sohel responded to my request to design the cover.
বাঙলায়ন, 2010
পুস্তক-পরিচয়: ফিকশন/গল্পে এই ধরনের কাজ পরে আরো করতে চেয়েছিলাম। কিন্তু বাস্তবে আর করা হয়নি। সম্ভবত... more পুস্তক-পরিচয়: ফিকশন/গল্পে এই ধরনের কাজ পরে আরো করতে চেয়েছিলাম। কিন্তু বাস্তবে আর করা হয়নি। সম্ভবত, "খুচরা সংস্কৃতি"র মতো ছোটো ছোটো "বাস্তব" চরিত্র-নির্ভর রচনাতে মনোযোগের কারণে, এবং সম্ভবত সাইবার মাধ্যমের বৈশিষ্ট্যের কারণে এই না-করা। কিন্তু ২০০৫-৬ সালের দিকে এরকম প্যারাবলধর্মী বেশ কিছু রচনা নিয়ে এই বইটা প্রকাশ করেছিল বাঙলায়ন। অস্ট্রিক আর্যু তখন খুব উৎসাহ নিয়ে দুর্নিবার চ্যালেঞ্জসমেত প্রকাশনাতে এসেছিলেন। প্রচ্ছদ করেছিলেন প্রকাশকেরই যোগাযোগে শিবু কুমার শীল। আমার অনেক বইয়ের মতোই এটাও তেমন পাঠক পায়নি। তবে বইটা আর পাওয়াও যায় না। বাঙলায়ন আর প্রকাশক হিসাবেও বিরাজ করে না।
বায়ান্নো, 2019
An interview book by Moin Uddin.
Department of Anthropology, JU, 2000
Department of Anthropology, JU, 2001
About the Book: This was an outcome of a conference in 2000, sponsored by the Ford Foundation Res... more About the Book: This was an outcome of a conference in 2000, sponsored by the Ford Foundation Research Grant to the department of anthropology at Jahangirnagar Anthropology. That time anthropology practitioners in Bangladesh, or a portion of them, were much tensed with the dichotomy of 'academic' and 'applied' anthropology, a binary that might have borrowings of extravagant developmentalist projects in Bangladesh. This binary, however, has a little meaning in what is being called as 'anthropological' practices, or in any disciplinary 'boundary' for that matter. I, for some complicated reasons, eventually had to convene the conference as well, and anticipated this book since the time I took responsibility of the convener. Prof. Zahir Ahmed and I co-edited the book.
Many people, mostly then students of anthropology (including some from other disciplines) worked very hard: documentation, transcription, typesetting, translation, and above all, exhibiting huge energy that made this production possible which otherwise could be an 'expensive' project. This book is an utmost example of how teamwork can reduce expenses, and how a book could be produced from materials of different modalities. Years after, a copyleft study circle (Grontho Dot Net) uploaded this book on the internet. But the document has problems: missing pages, disorganized pages.
Magic Lanthon, 2021
This booklet is mainly a speech by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, delivered in Kolkata, in 2019 as '... more This booklet is mainly a speech by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, delivered in Kolkata, in 2019 as 'Pranabesh Sen Memorial Speech'. Initially published by Kolikata Letter Press, this booklet was published by Magic Lanthon, Rajshahi with legal authorization form the first publisher. I was invited to write an introduction of this book.
Department of Anthropology, JU, 1999
This was a little booklet that caused serious enthusiasm around. Even some scholars from other na... more This was a little booklet that caused serious enthusiasm around. Even some scholars from other nations who were Bangla users used to look for this publication for quite some time. Some copies were found in the recent past (March 2022) and it is now uploaded.
Pathsutro, 2008
An anthology of Bangla short-stories was first published in 2008 by Pathsutro. Later these works ... more An anthology of Bangla short-stories was first published in 2008 by Pathsutro. Later these works were also included in Manosh Chowdhury'r Nikristo Golpo (Worst Stories by Manosh Chowdhury) in 2019. These fictional works reflected social lives in mundane situations with compassion, hostility and defeats.
Banglayan, 2010
An anthology of Bangla short-stories was first published in 2010 by Banglayan, then in 2013 in Ko... more An anthology of Bangla short-stories was first published in 2010 by Banglayan, then in 2013 in Kolkata by Sristisukh. Later these works were also included in Manosh Chowdhury'r Nikristo Golpo (Worst Stories by Manosh Chowdhury) in 2019. These fictional works reflected social lives with acute experience of torture and disparity in seemingly mundane situation.
Ekhushey Publishers, 2003
Magic Lanthon, 2020
একটা বইয়ের অংশবিশেষ, বইটা একটা তাৎক্ষণিক বক্তৃতা থেকে ম্যাজিক লণ্ঠন বানিয়েছে।
Magic Lanthon, 2019
Originally an extempore lecture, delivered at Rajshahi University, in 2018, later was transcribed... more Originally an extempore lecture, delivered at Rajshahi University, in 2018, later was transcribed and published in 2019 by Magic Lanthon, a study circle and publisher group based in Rajshahi. It was a unplanned product from my end, but is highly regarded by the readers.
Adorsho, 2022
An anthology of essays on these interrelated themes - masculinity, sexuality and gender. Here are... more An anthology of essays on these interrelated themes - masculinity, sexuality and gender. Here are a few pages.
This is a fictional work in Bengali, published in 2010 by Banglayan, Dhaka. Later it was republis... more This is a fictional work in Bengali, published in 2010 by Banglayan, Dhaka. Later it was republished in Kolkata by Sristisukh in 2013. All the stories earlier were published in different 'literature' periodicals. One story, Ali Bihari's Blanket, was translated by Sabiha Huq, in 2020 and was published in Dhaka Tribune. I was unaware of the translation before it was actually published. Later Professor Niaz Zaman selected this story for her anthology to celebrate 50 years of Bangladesh - "When the Mango Tree Blossomed", published by Nymphea, Dhaka.
Here is the cover of the original book and only piece that was translated.
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Books by Manosh Chowdhury
I did a doctoral degree like most academics do, back in 2007, from Hiroshima University. Why a doctorate and why Hiroshima is altogether a different question and may bore you easily. To provide a perspective, although most academics need a doctorate to get hired, not in Bangladesh till now. So, Bangladeshi academics pursue a doctorate to get promoted, or to finish the global ritual, whatever. In my case, I was senior enough to not much benefit from a degree. Still, I did it, perhaps for a change (or to perform the ritual). Hiroshima was a consequential choice after many eventful things.
Why did a 2007 thesis take 18 years to get published as a book? This question is related to my ever-growing interest (or often lack of it as an author) in the publishing industry. This is a sweet irony that this book is kind of a byproduct of my almost-formal research on the global academic publishing nexus.
After a few attempts with a few publishers, Vernon decided to publish it. These pages recently were uploaded to their website. It should mean, I can circulate it without any 'legal' obligation and the book is in the printing.
I thank Carmen Blyth and Anisuzzaman Sohel. Carmen kept on pushing me at crucial moments. Sohel responded to my request to design the cover.
Many people, mostly then students of anthropology (including some from other disciplines) worked very hard: documentation, transcription, typesetting, translation, and above all, exhibiting huge energy that made this production possible which otherwise could be an 'expensive' project. This book is an utmost example of how teamwork can reduce expenses, and how a book could be produced from materials of different modalities. Years after, a copyleft study circle (Grontho Dot Net) uploaded this book on the internet. But the document has problems: missing pages, disorganized pages.
Here is the cover of the original book and only piece that was translated.