The Department of English and Modern Languages (DEML) at Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) hosted a discussion on Stories My Grandma (Never) Told Me, an anthology of family stories passed down—or withheld—across generations.

Edited by Professor Razia Sultana Khan and published by Nymphea Publications, the anthology features short stories by members of The Reading Circle, a group of readers from diverse backgrounds.

The stories explore family secrets, resilience and the roles women play within their families and communities. The collection includes domestic and supernatural narratives as well as stories of self-discovery.

The discussion was held on 26 July, according to a press release.

Professor Razia Sultana Khan is a writer, researcher, translator, educator and artist, and an advisor at the Department of English and Modern Languages at IUB.

Towhid Bin Muzaffar, Head (Acting) and Assistant Professor of DEML, delivered the welcome address.

IUB alumna Jahanara Tariq, currently a Lecturer of English and Humanities at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB), moderated the discussion.

The panellists were Professor Firdous Azim of BRAC University, whose work focuses on literature and gender studies; Ambassador Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, a veteran of Bangladesh’s foreign service; Sayyeda Tun Noor Sameera, a DEML faculty member at IUB; and Elita Karim, journalist, musician, HHH Fellow and PhD student at Arizona State University.

They discussed the anthology’s central themes, particularly the oral histories of grandmothers and mothers that have passed through generations but have rarely been recorded in writing.

The discussion also examined the significance of preserving these stories in a published volume.

An open question-and-answer session followed, featuring members of the audience, the writers and the anthology’s editor, Professor Razia Sultana Khan.

Professor M Tamim, Vice-Chancellor of IUB, also spoke at the programme, which concluded with remarks from Professor Razia Sultana Khan.

Guests and scholars from different organisations attended the event alongside IUB faculty members, employees and students.