Dr. Syed Manzoorul Islam Professor Phone: (880-2) 9661921-59 Ext. 6049 (Work), Email: [email protected], [email protected] Qualifications: PhD, Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada
______Dr. Syed Manzoorul Islam is Professor of English at the University of Dhaka, and an award winning fiction writer. He is also an art critic and has curated Bangladesh art exhibitions in UK, India and Iran. He has been a Fulbright Scholar and spent a semester teaching at the University of Southern Mississippi at Hattiesburg, USA in 1989.
Dr. Islam’s areas of special interest include Shakespeare, Modern Poetry and Fiction, Literary Theory, Postmodernism and Post-Colonialism and Translatology. He is a noted column writer and a contributor to leading Bangla dailies (Prothom Alam, Somokal) and writes on political and social Issues. He is also an occasional political analyst for the BBC.
Dr. Islam was a member of the jury of the Commonwealth Writers Prize in 1989 (Eurasia Region) and is a jury for the 2008 Asian Art Biennale in Dhaka.
Current Position : Professor Department of English, University of Dhaka Dhaka 1000, BANGLADESH
Visiting Faculty Department of English, BRAC University Dhaka, Bangladesh
Education
• Doctor of Philosophy in English, 1981, Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada Dissertation: “Emanuel Swedenborg’s Influence on the Poetry of W. B. Yeats” Supervisor: Professor Norman MacKenzie
• Master of Arts in English, 1972 (examination held in 1973). Placed First in First Class.
• Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English, 1971 (examination held in 1972). Placed First in First Class.
Teaching Experience
• Professor, Department of English, University of Dhaka (October 1989 –present ) • Associate Professor, Department of English, University of Dhaka (April 1985-October 1989) • Assistant Professor, Department of English, University of Dhaka (January 1982-April 1985) • Lecturer, , Department of English, University of Dhaka (October 1974-January 1982) • Teaching Assistant, Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada (September 1976-September 1981) • Visiting Professor, BRAC University, Dhaka (April 2001 –present )
Other Current Positions
• Member, Editorial Board of Jamini: An International Magazine of the Arts • Member, Film Censor Appeal Board • Member, Jatiyo Protibondhi Unnayan Foundation • Member, Trustee Board, Bangladesh National Museum • Member, Advisory Board, National Book Centre • Member, Branding Bangladesh Committee, Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation
Administrative / Academic Positions Held
• Editor, Bangladesh Journal of American Studies, 2000-2002 • Editor, The Dhaka University Studies, 1995-1997 • Chairman, Department of English, University of Dhaka, 1989-1992 • Warden, International Hostel, University of Dhaka, 1988-1990 • Member, Academic Council, BRAC University, East West University, Millennium University, Sylhet International University
Current Research and Teaching Interests
• A book on cultural studies, Translation of selected letters from Rabindranath Tagore’s Chhinnapatra; Postmodernism, Cultural Studies, Shakespeare, Modern Poetry and Fiction, Postcolonial Literature, Literary Theory, Aesthetics and Art History.
Publications and Presentations
• I have published about 30 articles in English in academic journals at home and abroad on individual authors, Literary Theory, Translatology, Subaltern Historiography, Postmodern and Postcolonial Literature, Art History etc.
• I have also published about 25 articles in Bangla on individual authors, literary movements and genres in leading journals in Bandladesh and India
• In the last 10 years, I have attended many seminars at home and abroad, delivering keynote papers in a number of them, such as –
• On “Teaching Literary Theory in the Classroom,” English Association Seminar, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal, October 2006.
• On “Indian Travel Writing in English,” Literature of Region and Nation Association Conference in Manchester, UK, June 2005.
• On “What is Postmodern Art?” in Oldham Art Gallery, Seminar on South Asian Art, Oldham, UK, July 2002.
• On “The Raj in Indian Fiction,” Literature of Region and Nation Association Conference in Mittskogen, Sweden, June 2000.
Publications on Art:
• Kibria, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka, 2006. • Banglsadesh Art: Collection of Contemporary Pintings, Society for the Promotion of Bangladeshi Art, Dhaka, 2003. • Contemporary Art of Bangladesh, Indian High Commission, Dhaka, 2003. • Dipa Haq, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka, 1996.
• I have been a guest editor of Art and the Islamic World (published from London) for its special issue on Bangladeshi art, No. 34, Autumn, 1999.
• I have written on most major artists of Bangladesh in journals and exhibition catalogues at home and abroad. I have also written on many younger artists of Bangladesh, introducing their exhibitions, or evaluating their achievement, in exhibition brochures, catalogues and journals.
• I have also written on Bangladeshi art for the catalogue of Bangladesh Art Biennales, National and Young Artists’ exhibitions organized by Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy,
2 Indian Art Triennale (Delhi, 1994), Tehran Art Biennale (2003) and Oldham Gallery exhibition of South Asian Art (2002).
• I have curated Bangladeshi art exhibitions at Oldham Gallery, UK (2002) and Tehran Art Biennale (2003).
Creative Writing:
I have written 5 volumes of short stories:
• Shrestho Golpo (1994), Proma Prakashani, Calcutta • Thaka na-thakar Golpo (1996), Pragati Prokashoni, Dhaka • Kach Bhanga Rater Golpo (1998), Samabesh, Dhaka • Alo O Ondhokar Dekhar Golpo (2001), Samabesh, Dhaka • Prem O Prarthonar Golpo (2005), Annya Prakash, Dhaka
I have written 2 novels:
• Adhkhana Manush (2006), Annya Prakash, Dhaka • Tin Porber Jibon (2008), Annya Prakash, Dhaka
Visva Bharati University Publication Department will publish a collection of my short stories, Nirbachito Golpo in 2009.
Stage and TV Plays:
• Wrote a play for Theatre (Arambagh Theatre Group), Bhuboner Ghate, which received Bangladesh film critics association (Bachasas) award for best stage play, 2006.
• Wrote more than 20 plays (one a 13 week serial) for BTV and other Television channels in Bangladesh.
Literary and Political Columns:
• Wrote a literary column for the literary page of Daily Sangbad for nearly 20 years (1984- 2003) on world literature, titled Olosh Diner Hawa.
• Wrote a literary column for the literary page of Daily Independent for 2 years (2002-2004) on literature, art and culture.
• Wrote a column, Roye Shoye, for Bhorer Kagoj (2003-2005) dealing with political and social issues.
• Write a regular column, Khola Hawa, for Prothom Alo dealing with political, social and educational issues.
3