Poet and novelist Mozid Mahmud’s novel titled Memorial Club was launched at a bilingual literary event, highlighting the global reach of contemporary South Asian fictions, in Singapore on Saturday.
The launch, hosted by New York-based independent press Gaudy Boy LLC, took place at Book Bar on 57 Duxton Road.
Originally published in Bangla in 2021, Memorial Club was translated into English and released by Gaudy Boy earlier this year, further expanding its international readership.
The event opened with remarks from Gaudy Boy publisher Jee Leong Koh, who praised the novel for its ‘Camus-like intensity’ and philosophical undercurrents.
Koh also shared the story behind discovering Mahmud’s work and the press’s interest in translating South Asian voices for a global audience.
Mozid Mahmud, renowned for his prolific literary output with over 60 titles spanning poetry, essays and fiction, spoke at length about the themes of the novel, which include psychological trauma, societal alienation and a journalist’s existential struggle against forces beyond his control.
‘It has been a memorable time, indeed,’ Mahmud told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ·, expressing joy over the warm reception from the Singapore audience.
Mahmud was joined in a panel conversation by Nur Amali Ibrahim, an anthropologist at the National University of Singapore, and poet AK Zilani, a Bangladeshi poet based in Singapore.
The discussion explored the intersections of literature, politics and translation, and how narratives like Memorial Club resonate across linguistic and cultural borders.
Set against the backdrop of political turbulence, Memorial Club follows the inner life of a young journalist whose professional and personal worlds collide in a spiral of shame and violence.
The English edition brings new readers into Mahmud’s haunting and introspective universe.
The novel is currently available for purchase worldwide and in Bangladesh via Amazon, Rokomari and other major online retailers.
