Untold Words was published by BICA-ACA Books.
Taken from the book’s introduction written by Kuljit ‘Kooj’ Chuhan:
Untold Words is an all too rare collection of some of the best new writing by Bangladeshi people in Britain. It is an expression of a community whose voice has for the most part not been heard, and whose talent has few opportunities to flourish. The common thread of origin joining together the various writers shines through the rich and diverse imagery, feelings and sentiments the contributions contain.
The underlying theme is based upon the writers’ experiences in Britain, whether reflecting on their mother country or on their present environment. Yet the collection also derives strength from its variety, from the cutting and heartfelt edge of Rafeya Rahman and the bitter-sweet love poetry of Abdul K. Choudhury, to the profoundly human recollections of Md. Shamsul Hoque, the poignant metaphors of Laila Choudhury and the concerned pride of M. A. Mustak for his ‘home’ country. The poetry came out of a National Poetry Competition run in conjunction with a series of writing workshops for the Tameside Bangladeshi communities. The book generally focuses on new writers within this region, yet it allows the freshness of newer writers to be balanced by the measured power of the more experienced.
While nearly all Bengali people here speak their mother tongue, cultural pressure and discrimination has led to an increasing proportion able to read only in English. With entries in either English or Bengali a bilingual book was crucial to the project, not only to allow the writers access to a wider public but also to encourage a re-valuation of the mother tongue particularly where the book may be used in an educational setting. The integration of such issues within the project’s philosophy is central to the ethos of Black Issues in Community Arts (BICA) who have carried out the project from community conception through to publication and beyond.
As this book goes to press, already there is a buzz amongst local writers, realising for the first time that to be in print is achievable and planning their own further literary endeavours. Just as this book is a breath of fresh air to their lives and to the literary world, so it will be to your enjoyment of the written word. Read, and enjoy!
Poems by Abdul K Choudhury, Rafeya Rahman, Abdul Aziz, Abdul Majid and Jonad Miah, Amina Bibi, Aminzaman (Farooq), Eshita Shama Azad, Khaleda Mohiuddin, Tabedar Rasul Bakul, Nazrul Islam Naz, Parvina Khatun, Bithi Ray, Manju Choudury, M A Mustak, Laila Choudhury, Rumi (Laila Choudhury), Rekha (Bashera Islam), Reshma Kabir, Husna (Jasmine Sikdar) and M S Hoque.
Each poem appears in Bengali with an English translation. A K Choudhury and Rafeya Rahman translated their own pieces, with additional translations by M S Hoque, Quamrul Kabir and M A Mustak.
Published: 1996
