Kolkata: The Sharadiya issue of the literary magazine Shabder Jhonkar was formally inaugurated on Sunday at KGMH, Sealdah, marking the publication’s entry into its 47th year.
Welcoming the gathering, editor Nurul Islam Khan said that sustaining the regular publication of a literary periodical for 47 years amid rising costs is a matter of prestige and pride. He also highlighted the important role of little magazines, which continue to survive despite financial challenges and serve as nurturing grounds for emerging writers.
Poet Nabagopal Chowdhury, Dr Samarendra Nath Ghosh, Sujit Pal of Howrah Press Club and other distinguished personalities attended the programme.
The event began with a musical performance by Geetashree De, while songs presented by Shiben Guha were warmly appreciated. Around 50 poets, writers and magazine editors from different places participated in the gathering.
Poets Amar Das, Debla Bauliya, Dilip Kansabanik, Rupa Dutta, Soma Nayak, Kshama Kansabanik, Arati De, Sraboni Chakraborty, Antara Ghosh Karmakar, Bidisha Ghosh and Gauri Sen recited their poems. Poetry, recitation, music and literary discussions enriched the programme.
A minute’s silence was observed in memory of the late Sunil Mukhopadhyay, the founding editor of Shabder Jhonkar, and other literary figures. Lakshmi Mukhopadhyay was also present.
Shubhashis Chattopadhyay, Subrata De, Chameli Das, Phullara Dhar, Trishari Ghosh, Deb Kumar Mukhopadhyay, Sukanya Bhattacharya, Shyamal Biswas, Pratik Bhattacharya, Biswanath Samanta and Shankar Banerjee presented their own writings. The programme was conducted by Swapan Pal and Sushmita Majumder.
