Ahsan Akbar

Ahsan Akbar
Native name আহসান আকবার
Born London, England
Occupation Poet, writer
Language English, Bengali
Nationality British
Education Economics
Alma mater University of Exeter
Years active 2013–present
Website
www.ahsanakbar.com

Ahsan Akbar (Bengali: আহসান আকবার) is an English poet and writer of Bangladeshi descent.

Early life

Akbar was born in London[1] and subsequently grew up in Dhaka, Bangladesh, before moving back to the United Kingdom at the age of 16[2] on his own. He studied economics at University of Exeter, and worked as a vinyl record seller, bookseller, and as an equities trader in the City of London and Southeast Asia.[1]

Akbar has described growing up in the 1980s as an experience with drawbacks. "There were few leisure activities," he says, "no bowling, nothing much on TV". With diversions largely absent, "things happened elsewhere" and his imagination took over.[2]

Career

In November 2013, Akbar's debut book, The Devil's Thumbprint was published,[2] it is a collection of poems which received critical acclaim since its publication. The book has been included in the English literature programme at SOAS, University of London.[1]

Akbar is currently working on a novel, and has written for The Telegraph, Los Angeles Times, Wasafiri, Granta, Dhaka Tribune and other international publications.[1] His poem "Tree Without Roots" was selected to represent Dhaka in "Capitals", a poetry anthology representing all the capital cities of the world. The collection was published in Bloomsbury International in winter 2016.[1][3]

Akbar is co-founder of Zephyr:Media PR, a multi-platform PR and marketing boutique based in Mayfair and Soho with a global reach, with clients in fashion, food and beverage, hospitality and the arts industry.[1]

Akbar is a director of the Dhaka Literary Festival (previously known as the Hay Festival Dhaka).[4] He is a board member of Bengal Lights, a literary journal in English,[1] and a Governor of WMC Camden College.[5]

Akbar curated Bangladeshi writing, amongst other places, for Granta and Wasafiri.[1]

Books

Year Title Publisher ISBN
2013 The Devil's Thumbprint Bengal Lights Books 9-789849-073833

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Karim, Mohammed Abdul; Karim, Shahadoth (November 2016). British Bangladeshi Who's Who (PDF). British Bangla Media Group. p. 16. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 Eagle, Andrew (12 January 2014). "Discovering a Cold Climate Bengal". Bangladesh: The Daily Star. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  3. ↑ "Poetry anthology on capital cities edited by Indian poet-diplomat launched in London". India: Daily News and Analysis. 2 February 2017. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  4. ↑ Tran, Mark (17 November 2016). "Dhaka Lit Fest to elevate Bangla Literature towards greater heights". Dhaka: Dhaka Courier. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  5. ↑ "WMC". Camden College. Retrieved 10 October 2017.


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