Author Samaresh Majumdar, who passed away in May 2023, is fondly remembered for his contributions to Bengali literature. His legacy still remains alive, however, especially with the posthumous publication of his poetry anthology Jalsha, launched at Starmark in South City Mall last month. The collection includes 100 unseen poems and songs that were recently discovered in a forgotten notebook retrieved from the back of a cupboard, by Majumdar’s daughter Doel. The new book, the contents of which were written during the author’s youth about a particularly special friendship, not only reminds readers of Majumdar’s brilliance but also offers a deeper understanding of his creative range.

The book launch saw the presence of writer Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay, poets Srijato Bandhopadhyay and Pracheta Gupta, and Doel recounting stories about the author in a panel conducted by Tridib Kumar Chattopadhyay of Patra Bharati. Srijato wrapped up the session by reading out a couple of the poems from the new collection, ending the launch on a lyrical, moving note.

The cover of the book

Starting off the session, Srijato said: “I was asked to write the introduction to this book even though I do not believe I have the courage, worthiness or capability to come anywhere close to Samaresh da or his work. Writing the introduction made me feel truly humbled, and so did the fact that I was able to read these new songs before other readers did. Samaresh da did not want these poems to be published during his lifetime. This desire to keep himself — or at least that part of him that wrote these poems — hidden is something that we have lost in this fast-paced world. Today we are all desperate to get our work published immediately… these songs reveal to us a Samaresh Majumdar the world never saw while he was alive.”

“I used to be scared of Samaresh da, but I am grateful that our friendship deepened over the years. I remember I called him once during Covid, and he started telling me the idea of a story that he had in mind at the time. Suddenly, in the middle, he stopped. So I asked, ‘What happens next?’ and he replied, ‘I have no idea what happens next. Because you are going to write the rest of it.’ I was flabbergasted, of course, but then he insisted that he wanted me to write the rest of the story. I was unable to pick that story up, but the affection that he, so senior to me in every way, had for me is to me like an unfinished story in itself. It is something that will last forever,” Pracheta shared with the audience.

Samaresh Majumdar passed away in May 2023 at the age of 79

Shirshendu shed light on his own relationship with Majumdar, leaving many teary-eyed at the end of his little speech. “Samaresh was like a brother to me,” he said. “We are both from North Bengal. I have known him since we were both quite young. He had a very vibrant sense of life in him, so much so that even looking at him made me feel like my own lifespan had expanded! This new book is a discovery and I am very happy that these poems were found at all, because Samaresh left traces of himself behind in whatever he touched. All my memories of him are returning tonight… he left this world before I did, even though he wasn’t supposed to. This is something I have enormous regret for. His book being launched makes me feel like we have him in our midst again.”

Describing how she came across her father’s poetry in the first place, Doel shared a sweet family anecdote with the audience. “I first found these poems in a small, torn diary in the December of 2011. I asked Baba about the diary, and he immediately snatched it away from me. He told me not to touch it. Much later, of course, I learned that these poems were written in the 1960s — from 1965 to around 1971 — when my parents were friends. These poems are the products of that friendship. There is a strange romance in them and I feel they will resonate with readers, touch their hearts if they are young, and make them nostalgic if they are older. My father did not believe he was a man of poetry, so he did not like the idea of getting his poetry published. So the little diary was lost but then thankfully I unearthed it from the back of a cupboard. That was when we decided to finally publish it.”

The event wrapped up with a question-and-answer session with the audience that allowed attendees to share their thoughts, making it an interactive end to the evening.