The Greatest Assamese Stories Ever Told spans more than a century of work by some of the finest writers of short fiction in the language. The storytellers range from literary masters such as Lakhminath Bezbaroa, Mamoni Raisom Goswami, Saurav Kumar Chaliha, Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyya, and Homen Borgohain to contemporary writers like Harekrishna Deka, Debabrata Das, and Kuladhar Saikia.
Among the gems to be found in this selection are Lakhminath Bezbaroa’s ‘Patmugi’ which is a searing portrayal of the injustices of society, especially towards women; Mamoni Raisom Goswami’s ‘Values’, an unforgettable depiction of a destitute woman, for whom her Brahmin ancestry is the only thing that she can take pride in; Harekrishna Deka’s ‘The Captive’, a poignant account of the relationship between a kidnapper and his victim; Homen Borgohain’s well-known story ‘Looking for Ismael Sheikh’, which deals with the effects of religious violence on a community; and Sheelabhadra’s ‘Sweet Acacia’, a romance as evocative as the delicate fragrance of the flower that permeates it.
Selected and edited by Mitra Phukan, these and the other stories in this volume offer a fascinating glimpse of a culture and a people that will resonate with readers everywhere.
About the Author
Mitra Phukan is a writer, translator, columnist, and classical vocalist who lives in Guwahati, Assam. Her published literary works include four children’s books, a biography, two novels, namely, The Collector’s Wife and A Monsoon of Music, and a collection of fifty of her columns, Guwahati Gaze. She has also published a collection of short stories titled A Full Night’s Thievery.
As a translator, she has worked with some of the best fiction writers in Assamese, translating from Assamese to English. Among her best-known translations is Jnanpith awardee Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyya’s novel Kobor aru Phool (titled Blossoms in the Graveyard in English). Her latest work of translation is Guilt and Other Stories. Her short stories have appeared in various journals worldwide and her works have been translated into many languages. Her fortnightly column ‘All Things Considered’ in the Assam Tribune is very widely read. She also writes extensively on Indian music, both as a reviewer and essayist. Her works, both novels and short stories, are taught in various colleges and universities.
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