On Tuesday, August 5, the Astoria Bookshop will host the literary event “A New Dawn for Bangladesh and Its Diaspora: An Evening of Readings.” The event will last 90 minutes, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Selected Bangladeshi female writers will share their literary works, celebrate Astoria’s historic 36th Avenue Bangladeshi community, and commemorate Bangladesh’s 2024 student movement.
Writers
- Sumaiya Aftab Ahmed: Sumaiya Aftab Ahmed writes both fiction and nonfiction, but her posts are primarily about politics, culture, and people’s lives. Her legal background, particularly her representation of political and gender-based asylees, likely informs the depth and nuance in her nonfiction voice. Her fiction suggests strong engagement with identity, diaspora, and lyrical storytelling. Her writing appeared in The Washington Post, Volume 1 Brooklyn, The Metropolitan Review, and elsewhere.
- Samira Asma-Sadeque: Samira Asma-Sadeque is a New York-based Bangladeshi journalist, poet, and educator. In her poetry and journalism, she writes about the immigrant experience, mental health, hate speech, and gender violence. She is a contributing reporter for the New York Times, The Guardian, and The Washington Post, among other publications. Her poetry appears on HBO, All Arts TV, No Dear Magazine, and Button Poetry, among other platforms.
- Promiti Shashwati Islam: Promiti Shashwati Islam explores identity, migration, and cultural intersections, often drawing from her Bangladeshi heritage and experiences across different countries. Through fiction, essays, and poetry, Islam’s writing explores displacement, belonging, and memory.
- Tashie Bhuiyan: Tashie Bhuiyan focuses on South Asian American identity (particularly Bangladeshi-American) and enjoys writing stories about overcoming adversity and achieving autonomy through growth. In her emotionally charged young adult novels, she focuses on self-discovery, personal agency, and the restorative power of relationships. Her narratives blend cultural uniqueness with universal appeal as they follow South Asian American teenagers and navigate family dynamics, mental health, and artistic endeavors.
- Tanaïs: Tanaïs (formerly Tanwi Nandini Islam), a Bangladeshi American writer and perfumer, uses personal memoir and historical critique to explore identity, beauty, and South Asian history, particularly Bangladesh, women, and queer communities.
The event is open to registered participants. RSVP is encouraged due to space limitations.
The event will simultaneously be livestreamed by Astoria Bookshop.
Venue:
The Astoria Bookshop
36-19 30th Street, Astoria 11106
Contact:
Astoria Bookshop, 718-278-2665
This event is partially funded by public funds from the Queens Arts Fund, administered by the New York Foundation for the Arts, and by Poets & Writers with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, supported by the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
[Event details may be subject to change.]