Birth— 1947
Where—Rajshahi
Education— Rajshahi University
Currently—

Bibliography

Novels

• Josnay Surjyo Jala (1973)

• Jalochchwas (1972)

• Hangor Nodi Grenade (1976)

• Magna Caitanye Shis (1979)

• Japita Jiban (1981)

• Podoshobdo (1982)

• Neel Moyurer Joubon (1983)

• Chand Bene (1984)

• Poka Makorer Ghor Bosoti (1986)

• Nirantar Ghantadhwani (1987)

• Ksharan (1988)

• Katatare Prajapati (1989)

• Khun O Bhalobasa (1990)

• Kalketu and Fullora (1992)

• Bhalobasa Pritilata (1992)

• Tanaparen (1994)

• Gaayatree Sondhya (1996)

• Dipanwita (1997)

• Juddha (1998)

• Lara (2000)

• Kathkoilar Chhobi (2001)

• Mohinir Biye (2002)

• Anobic Andhar (2003)

• Ghumkature Ishwar (2004)

• Morger Neelpakhi (2005)

• Opekkha (2007)

• Deener Roshite Gitthu (2007)

• Mati-O-Shosshyer Bunon (2007)

• Purno Chobir Mognota (2008)

• Vumi-O-Kushum (2010)

• Jomuna Nodir Mushayra (2011)

• Gachtir Chaya Nai (2012)

• Sonali Dumur (2012)

• Auguster Ekrat (2013)

• Garila-O-Birongana (2014)

• Dinkaler Kathkhor (2015)

Stories

• Utso Theke Nirontor (1969)

• Jolobotee Megher Batash (1975)

• Khol Korotal (1982)

• Porojonmo (1986)

• Manushti (1993)

• Motijaner Meyera (1995)

• Onura Purnima (2008)

• Sokhinar Chondrakola (2008)

• Ekaler Pantaburi (2008)

• Obelar Dinkhon (2009)

• Narir Rupkotha (2009)

• Nunpantar Goragori (2014)

• Mrityur Nilpadma (2015)

Selina Hossain is one of the most important women writers of Bangladesh. She has published twenty-one novels, seven collections of short stories, four collections of prose and four collections of stories for children. Her works are a moving story of the contemporary social and political crisis, conflicts and chronic cycles of life of the struggling masses. For the last two decades she has been actively working for women’s advancement, in particular on gender and women’s empowerment in Bangladesh. She has written and edited about ten books on the subject, of which two volumes of Gender Encyclopaedia (2005). Her novels and short stories have been translated into English, Russian, French, Japanese, Korean, Finnish, and many languages of India.

Her translated novels include Hangor, Nodi, Grenade (English, 1987 and Malayalam, 2001), Neel Mayurer Joubon (English, 1983), Tanaporen (English, 2000 and Urdu 2003), and River of My Blood (English 2016).

She is extremely vocal against all kinds of local patriarchal institutions and practices that try to suppress the voice of the subalterns of Bangladesh. The cause of the oppressed women and abused children of Bangladesh is yet another area of her genuine concern. Many of her fiction depict poverty stricken, uneducated women fighting against the prevalent structure of traditional families and marriages. She is one of the leading contemporary feminist writers of Bangladesh.

Hossain is the winner of Bangla Academy Award, 1980 and Alaol Purashkar, 1981 among many others. In 1994-95, she won a scholarship from the Ford Foundation for his novel, Sandhya Gayatri. She has recently received the Chandrabati Academy Gold Medal 2010, and the International Award for Doctor of Literature (Honoris Causa) from the Rabindra Bharati University (2010).Selina Hossain was the director of the Bangla Academy in Dhaka. She is currently a member of the National Human Rights Commission of Bangladesh and the representative of her government to the Executive Board of UNESCO.

River of My Blood
Selina Hossain
The book ‘River of my Blood’ is divided into ten chapters, each named after the months in Bangla. The story starts in the month of Kartik and on the first page we have rich symbolisms of the colour red; it signifies birth and life; it is the colour of riots and the 1971 war. It is also the colour of her earliest memories. Red signaled her transforming to a woman from a girl and the colour red heralded a new life into her world, her baby