Press Release
19 October, 2026, 11:25 am
Last modified: 19 October, 2026, 11:35 am
Ekusher Sankalan has invited manuscripts from emerging poets aged 33 or below for its "Kobi-Abhishek" initiative, which aims to publish debut poetry collections by promising new writers ahead of the upcoming Ekushey Book Fair.
The deadline for manuscript submission is 16 November, 2026, according to the press release.
Applicants must submit manuscripts containing at least 40 poems in both Word and PDF formats, along with their full personal profiles.
Poetry books often face limited sales, leaving many publishers reluctant to publish works by emerging poets. Consequently, securing a publisher for a first poetry collection can be challenging for new literary voices. Ekusher Sankalan introduced the initiative to help address this barrier and support poets making their literary debut.
Since launching the "Kobi-Abhishek" programme in 2020, the publication has sought to publish the first poetry collection of at least one emerging poet each year. Over the past six years, six poets have had their debut books published through the initiative.
The selected poets have also received cash gifts and commemorative mementos in recognition of their work, alongside special events celebrating their literary debut.
These events feature discussions of the newly published books by prominent poets, recitations from the featured poet's work, reflections by the poet and question-and-answer sessions with readers. The programme aims to introduce emerging poets to a wider literary audience and strengthen connections between poetry and its readers.
Edited by poet Maruf Raihan, Ekusher Sankalan has been published annually to mark 21 February for more than two decades. It seeks to uphold the dignity of the mother tongue, highlight the significance of International Mother Language Day and enrich the Ekushey Book Fair experience.
A key feature of the publication is a colourful booklet or special supplement containing brief introductions to 50 selected books from among the thousands of new titles published around the fair.
Its e-paper edition has also been optimised for mobile devices. Readers can explore introductions to selected books from the past 12 years.
Through its latest call for manuscripts, Ekusher Sankalan aims to continue encouraging emerging literary talent, creating opportunities for debut poetry collections and introducing new voices in Bangla poetry to a wider readership.