How is 1st Mukto-Mona book doing?





“As a student of Science in Bangladesh, I was always afraid of Physics. Indeed,
it was a nightmare to me for long period. I’ve changed my view……reading Physics
could be fun, too.”



-Dr. Showurov, Queens, New York; reacting to Avijit Roy’s recently published
Bangla book.



“I need this book for my husband, who is a student of liberal arts, but an
ardent reader of the lives of great scientists.”



-Namota Chatterjee

Graduate Student

CUNY Graduate Center

New York





If any of the above comments seem like one of those paid TV commercials to
any one, then he/she, probably, may have been absent during the 14th Muktadhara
sponsored Bangla book fair that was held on last 2nd and 3rd April, 2005, in New
York. Nevertheless, skeptic*1 readers are welcome to enquire at Muktadhara*2
book stall in Jackson Heights, New York, to learn- how Avijit Roy’s Bangla
nonfiction “Alo Hate Choliyachhe A(n)dharer Jatree” did at the book fair.
Compared to previous years’ , the turnout of visitors was low in this year’s
book fair due to the impact of bad weather and probably, the change of usual
location-- from Jackson Heights to Astoria; yet the book has tuned out to be the
best selling book in the fair considering the sales of a book by any single
author. Out of 30 copies that Muktadhara imported from Dhaka as a test sale
during the book fair, 27 copies have been already sold out. Satisfied and
delighted, Biswajit Saha, owner of Muktadhara, has already placed a
second order of 10 more copies.



Those of us at Mukto-Mona, who were directly, or indirectly involved in
publishing the book, have a different reason to feel happy about the sales. The
major monetary profit goes to, for sure, Ankur Prokashoni*3, which has taken the
risk of publishing the book of a first time author, and the sellers at home and
abroad; the author, too, will get his due royalty. Yet we are at Mukto-Mona feel
delighted because the sale of this book is on its way to set a precedence of a
different kind, one we have been waiting for so passionately and ardently:
Bangalee youths and non-youth readers do value books even beyond just
commercially written cheap romantic novels (I mean, those stretched stories). I
hope readers would not take it as an arrogance, if I were to say- Bangla books
on popular science , philosophy, history do not sell well NOT because they don’t
have markets, but they are so poorly written.



When Abul Kasem, an author, himself, and a founding member of Mukto-Mona,
commented on the book that it should be taught as a Science text book in High
Schools of Bangladesh, I was a bit dubious and thought of his comments as a bit
of an exaggeration because of his love and affection for the author, and
Mukto-Mona as a whole. I was very surprised when more than one reader said the
same after spending some time reading and reviewing the book. It should be
mentioned that my humble request to those who turned out to be the buyers of the
book at New York book fair was a simple one: please have a look at our first
effort to tell the story of universe in a lucid way for the Bangla readers with,
or without science background. If you are an avid reader without any background
of science, and fail to comprehend the book, we’d consider it as our own
failure. It seems- so far, we have succeeded.



Lastly, some information about the sales of book outside New York book fair. A
book seller from London, UK, had placed an order of 20 copies. Five copies have
been sold as soon as the book arrived in Singapore*4. Poet HassanAl Abdullah of
New York is placing an order of 20 copies for the readers of his bilingual
international poetry magazine Shabdaguchha*5. For HassanAl, Avijit Roy’s book
has been the 2nd one he’s reading on the history of cosmos, next to only Stephen
Hawking’s famous “A Brief History of Time”. In Dhaka, Pathak Somabesh*6 and
Pathshala in Aziz Super Market, Shahabag, are selling the book.



I stop here with a small request to readers of this article. Learn more
about the book before you buy it. You can even read portion of it online for
free at Mukto-Mona.com. And if you like it, tell a friend about it. However, If
you don’t- by any chance, feel free to tell us. I guarantee- we love to hear
from you, be it a curse, or greetings!



Happy reading to all !!



By Jahed Ahmed

New York

Moderator

www.mukto-mona.com



04.06.2005



Footnotes:



*1I’m a skeptic, myself, about many things - J.A.
*2 Muktadhara37-69, 74th Street, 2nd Floor
Jackson Heights, NY 11372
Tel: 718-565-7258
Fax: 718-458-361


*3 Ankur Prakashani,
40/1 Purana Paltan, Dhaka 1000
Tel: +880-2-956 4799
Email: ankur@... ; ankur@...
*4 SHAHID TRAVEL & TOURS PTE LTD
181 KITCHENER ROAD # 01-12/13
NEW PARK HOTEL SHOPPING ARCADE
(Near Mustafa Market in Serangoon)
SINGAPORE 208533
Tel: Mr. Khakon (6293 3733)

*5 http://members.aol.com/shabdaweb/
*6 Pathak Shamabesh
17/A, Aziz Market (G.F. )
27 Aziz Market (1st Floor)
Shahbag, Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh.
Tel : 88 02 9662766, 9663523