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'Wizard of words' remembered fondly

MATHEWS CHIRAN
One of the greatest storytellers, Humayun Ahmed, holds a special place in the heart of readers. The magic of his appeal transcends generations.
Be it fiction or non-fiction, his writings have an enchanting charm that leaves an indelible impression.
Though the "wizard of words" passed away in 2012, he lives on in the heart of readers of all ages. And every year, a new generation of readers becomes "Misir Ali", "Himu" and “Shuvra" all over again.
His powerful presence can be seen at this year's Amar Ekushey Granthamela too. Like previous years, flocks of booklovers were seen thronging the stalls looking for his books or books written on the life of the versatile writer.
“I have bought a science fiction novel of Humayun Ahmed for my children. Not just them, I'm also a fan of his writings,” said Monima, a mother of two.
At the book fair, the stalls of Anya Prokash and Kakoli Prokashoni remain busy with booklovers almost all the time as they sell Humayun Ahmed's books.
"The fans of his writings rush the stalls,, especially from 5:00pm till the closing. They always want to know if we have any new compilation of his works," said Erie at Anya Prokash stall. "The rush intensifies during the weekends or holidays,” she added. She said smilingly, "Almost all the genres of his [Humayun Ahmed] writings are still in demand."
Yesterday at the book fair, this correspondent met a wide range of visitors, from young to old, who were swarming the stalls to buy their favourite Humayun Ahmed books.
"There was something special about the way he wrote," said Rafee, a master's student in Australia. “His writings were so easy to read, but at the same time those were thought provoking. The youths could connect with his writings. That's why, we still read his works."
"I've pretty much read all his works. I used to read his novels the night before the exams. It used to soothe me," he said.
AKM Saifullah, 50, an NGO official, was browsing through books at Anya Prokash. When asked what types to books he preferred, he said with a smile, "Something written by Humayun Ahmed of course."
"There were many influential writers, but it was Humayun Ahmed who captured the heart and soul of his generation and inspired them to fall in love with Bangla literature."
Saifullah came to the fair with his friend Alauddin Mollik.
"My favourite writer is Humayun Azad," said Mollik. "But even he could not get into the minds of the youths like Humayun Ahmed did. His writings are still relevant..." Not just the readers, Humayun Ahmed was a popular choice among the publishers too.
"During the book fair, he used to sit at our stall. He could engage all in conversations," said a nostalgic Liaquat Uliah of Student Ways Publication.
This year, Kakoli Prokashoni has brought out two new collections of the writer -"Muktijuddho Samagro" (a collection of nine novels and five stories) and "Sreshtha Humayun Ahmed".
This correspondent also met Nuzhat Ahmed, an accounting student of Dhaka University, yesterday. She bought three novels from Kakali publication. "Jochna O Jononir Golpo and Moddhanno are my favourite books,” she said. "He will always be missed. No one could tell a story like him."
Many other publication houses are also selling books written by Humayun Ahmed.
Among them, Oboshor Prokashon has brought out a collection of his ghost stories, "Sera Saat Boutik Uponnash", and a collection of stories based on the Liberation War, "Sera Saat Muktijuddher Uponnash ".
A total of 124 books arrived yesterday.
Meanwhile, a short story collection, "Kalpoloker Golpogatha" by Rowshan Ara Ausru is available at the fair. The book is published by Nakhkhatro Prokashoni.
"The book is for sixth and seventh graders. There are 11 stories in total," said the writer, also an assistant teacher of Power Development Board Secondary School in Narayanganj.
DAILY STAR BOOKS
"Sangrami Nari 52 o Ektattor (interview)" edited by Bashar Khan arrived at Daily Star Books yesterday.
The book is about women who made contributions during the Language Movement in 1952 and the Liberation War in 1971. Experiences of 23 such women have been portrayed through their interviews in the book.
Meanwhile, Daily Star Books continue to attract booklovers, especially the youths.
"I love to read autobiographies. It is a good initiative by Daily Star Books to offer readers books by writers from home and abroad," said Jubair Ahmed, an English teacher of Adamjee Cantonment Public School and College.
He bought two books by Kuldip Nayar and Shashi Tharoor.
In total, the stall is showcasing 37 books at the fair. Of them, eight are in Bangla and 29 in English.