Bengal Write Ahead

Bengal Write Ahead began as a writing contest run by Facebook together with Rupa Publications, RED FM and Kolkata Bloggers. Entrants from around the world were invited to write about Bengal and post their pieces online, so that the organisers could see how the state looks to people of different ages and backgrounds.

This book gathers the fifty best entries, picked by a panel of respected judges, with a foreword by Derek O'Brien. Each piece takes up a different side of Bengal: its films, art, sport and literature, the beauty of its countryside, the city of Kolkata, and the many dishes that make its food so loved.

The writers look back at where Bengal has come from and ask where it is going in a changing world. The tone shifts between funny, wistful and optimistic, and together the pieces paint an affectionate portrait of the Bengali people and their culture.