The anthology "Stories My Grandma (Never) Told Me" transforms the oral histories women have long shared in kitchens and family gatherings into a lasting literary record, academics and writers said at a book discussion hosted by Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) on Sunday.
The book edited by Professor Razia Sultana Khan of IUB was discussed at an event organised by the Department of English and Modern Languages at the DMK Lecture Gallery of IUB.
Speaking as a discussant, Professor Firdous Azim of BRAC University said the anthology carried personal resonance for her as a grandmother herself.
She said her six-year-old granddaughter sleeps beside her every night waiting to hear stories, an experience that revived her own memories of tales told by her grandmothers.
Reading and writing in English, she said, allows such stories to be passed on to students and offers them a wider perspective on family and history.
Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, president of the Cosmos Foundation and former Foreign Affairs Adviser, described the book as a tribute that turns the "whispers of resilience" and unspoken truths of women into a powerful "chorus," arguing that domestic spaces such as kitchens and funerals are where history is truly forged.
Calling the volume a "vibrant tapestry," he said while the book celebrates oral history, the figure of the grandmother often serves as a metaphor through which the authors channel their own contemporary reflections.
He recommended the book not merely as a record of the past but as a portrait of the writers themselves, saying the grandmothers in its pages, real or imagined, remain the "keepers of us."
Sayyeda Tun Noor Sameera, a faculty member at IUB, called the anthology a beautifully produced and accessible volume, noting that an English-language book of this kind published in Bangladesh remains a rare occurrence.
She said editor Razia had brought together the everyday stories grandmothers commonly tell their grandchildren, adding that such stories leave a lasting imprint on children's nostalgic memories and that the bond between grandmother and grandchild, built through storytelling, evokes something akin to seeking nirvana.
Elita Karim, musician and a PhD student at Arizona State University, reflected on the role women play in passing down knowledge and memory through stories, music and poetry, saying the anthology captures this tradition as an art form in its own right.
Following the discussion, editor Razia Sultana Khan introduced the contributing writers to the audience.
According to the book's flap copy, the stories in the anthology are written by members of The Reading Circle (TRC), a community of readers spanning continents, genres and cultures who have previously translated works by Kazi Nazrul Islam and Alice Munro and compiled personal narratives in "Stories from the Edge: Personal Narratives of 1971."
The new collection grew out of the group's fascination with the family secrets and hidden histories that persist across generations, resurfacing much like banned books circulated underground.
