Young Wordsmiths of Boi Mela, a TBS Graduates exclusive series, follows the journey of some of the young authors of Boi Mela. This time we explore ‘Oshompurno’, a psycho-thriller set around the hunt for a barbaric serial killer.
A hostile neighbourhood, death of parents, or parting ways with loved ones can really shake someone up to the core. But what happens when everything you care about is gone, leaving you lonely and frustrated? Does it create something bad, craving power to feel better? Maybe not always. But how else do we explain the scary serial killings of women in the city? And the fear spread by leaving parts of the victims around town? Is a perpetrator who resorts to such bestial methods even human? These are the creepy questions at the heart of Estiak Ahmmed Shahed’s first thriller, ‘Oshompurno’. The book can be found in Boibazar Prokashoni (Stall No. 186-87) of the Amor Ekushey Boi Mela. In today’s chapter of “Young Wordsmiths of Boi Mela”, TBS Graduates sat down with the budding author to discuss his thought process, journey and aspirations.
An avid admirer of thriller writer Mohammad Nazim Uddin, Estiak started writing because of him, sharing bits of his own stories on Facebook and getting lots of encouragement from friends. That’s what pushed him to write ‘Oshompurno’.
Launching a book is not just about writing it, especially given the time-sensitive nature of Boi Mela. Sometimes publishers can be really unfair to new writers. Estiak had a hard time with his first book. “Starting out as a writer is really tough,” he said, “especially when publishers ask for money or don’t give you what they promised.”
Estiak believes that the newer generation of writers has a lot to offer to the world of literature but they need to be protected. “We need new writers,” he said, “because the older ones won’t be around forever, and what people like to read is always changing.” His advice for aspiring writers is simple: don’t be scared to start, and read a lot. “If you read a lot, you’ll know how to write a book without needing much help.”
As a debutant, Estiak has met immense positive responses from the readers – “220 copies were sold in the first 5 days. People are also buying it online and sharing their thoughts!” To his readers, he wants to gift something new within the realm of thriller stories. While Estiak explores this realm, we sit down with another author, Maruf Sharker Munna, who discusses his Rabindranath inspired book ‘Postapis’ in the next chapter of “Young Wordsmiths of Boi Mela”.