INTRODUCTION
In this age of information explosion, the Librarian is supposed to be an opener of blocked pathways in the maze of knowledge, a blazer of trails in the encompassing dark forest of ignorance and a leader in keeping the human mind free. To censor is to act so as to change or suppress speech or writing that is condemned as subversive of the common good. Literary censorship goes back to the office of censor established in Rome in 443 B.C. but however honourable the origins of its name, it is today generally regarded as a relic of an unenlightened and much more oppressive age. It is an infringement of human rights and affects the Librarian in many ways. It also affects the Universal Availability of Publications (UAP), a programme developed within the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) and supported by United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
Prohibition of the production, distribution, circulation or sale of material considered being objectionable for reasons of politics, religion, obscenity or blasphemy is an infringement of the individual's right. It contradicts the most powerful statement of the global aspiration of respect for human rights, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly. Article 19 is an independent and impartial human rights legislation established in 1986 to promote freedom of expression to combat censorship worldwide. It reads: "every one has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers" (Shawcross 1991, p.409). The African Charter on Human Rights, European Convention on Human Rights, the Arab Charter on Human Rights and the Helsinki Final Acts - to mention a few- all stress that everyone should have the right to freedom of expression; a right that includes freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his/her choice.
HUMAN RIGHTS IN 'DEMOCRATIC' SOCIETIES
In practice one sees the opposite. Even the quite open society of Athens had limits, as indicated by the trial and conviction of youth and acknowledgement of unorthodox divinities. In the ancient Greek communities, it was assumed that the character of a people would and should be shaped by that of the government. In the ancient Chinese system, control of the information was retained - not by the information worker - but by the authorities who also determined the contents of the authoritative texts. Perhaps the most dramatic form of literary censorship in Christendom was the Index Librorum Prohibitorum, a list of books Roman Catholics were prohibited by ecclesiastical authority from reading or keeping without permission. Such books could not be imported into countries where Roman Catholic control was considerable. The Roman Catholic Church used this index to police the literature available to its followers.
THE ROLE OF THE LIBRARIAN IN SOCIETY
The Librarian serves the precious liberties of the nation; freedom of inquiry, freedom of the spoken or written word and freedom of the exchange of ideas. A democracy smugly disdainful of new ideas could be dismissed as a sick democracy and a democracy chronically fearful of new ideas would be a dying democracy. The last person to be a censor should be the Librarian whose responsibility is to provide materials which stimulate growth in factual knowledge, literary appreciation, aesthetic values and ethical standards. S/he provides a background of information which will enable citizens to make intelligent judgements in their daily lives. By providing materials on opposing sides of controversial issues, citizens develop the intellectual practice of critical reading and thinking.
IFLA AND THE UNIVERSAL AVAILABILITY OF PUBLICATIONS
It would not be farfetched to state that IFLA is aware of the roles and responsibilities of the Librarian. In addition to its basic functions carried out by the divisions, sections and round tables, a number of core programmes have been established to meet the requirements of the information community. These include the Universal Availability of Publications, Universal Bibliographic Control International MARC, Preservation and Conservation, Universal Dataflow of Telecommunications and the Advancement of Librarianship in the Third World. The Universal Availability of Publications, a programme developed within IFLA and supported by UNESCO could be seen as a battle against literary censorship. It is concerned with promoting the availability of publications all over the world. It covers not only libraries but publishing and bookselling, not only books and journals but audiovisual and electronic media, not only research libraries but school and public libraries. The ultimate objective is that "all publications, wherever and whenever published should be available to anyone, wherever and whenever they are wanted" (Membrey 1990, p.35). This is the ideal position in which IFLA stations the Librarian. The existence of a free and democratic society and an honestly administered government depends upon recognition of the concept that justice is based upon the rule of law grounded in respect for the dignity of the individual and his capacity - through reason - for enlightened government. Each individual has the right to a self-actuated existence to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It is therefore the right of each to have uncensored access to unaltered information of both a serious and frivolous nature. The librarian (an Information Professional) provides access to accumulated knowledge and information and plays a vital role in the preservation of society and the freedom of the individual. The statement of the professionals on Code of Ethics of the California Library Association and the California Society of Librarians aptly noted that the librarian has an obligation "to make the widest diversity of views and expressions, including those which are unorthodox and unpopular with the majority, available to any individual and has a further obligation to make known to each individual the breath of information extant" (Taylor 1976, p.800).
THE LIBRARIAN AND LITERARY CENSORSHIP
Literary censorship is a giant cankerworm in every society. Governments invoke a wide range or variety of reasons for justifying literary censorship, for justifying secrecy and for taking actions against individuals because of their opinions. The claim that freedom should be limited in order to protect the rights of others is one of the most common reasons given for literary censorship. This includes privacy, defamation and protection of reputation. National and state security, sedition, public interest, public health, public morals, public order, violence, racism, sexism, religious intolerance (heresy and blasphemy), linguistic and cultural hegemony, propaganda (government propaganda and disinformation), special situations (state of emergency, election periods and war), media bias, copyright and intellectual property, corruption) are other reasons cited. In response, a variety of methods - direct and indirect- are employed to suppress the rights and freedom of expression and information. Press laws, licensing, attacks and restrictions on information workers (illicit killings, death threats and beatings, kidnappings and disappearances, arrests, detention and imprisonment, restrictions on movements and expulsions, dismissals and harassment) are some of these methods. A close study or examination of these reasons reveals that many lack justification in the sense that they are not recognized as permissible restrictions under international law, and in fact many have illegitimate aims, such as the suppression of criticism and unorthodox ideas. It is against such a background that the Librarian is supposed to disseminate information. Denying the individual the right to information because of age, race, religion, national origins or social or political views is a clear infringement of human rights. Over many years, librarians and other information workers have "fought many shades of opinion to defend the principle of the free dissemination of information. Librarians recognize the need for an appropriate balance to be maintained within the materials which they make available to reflect differing extremes or shade of opinion on matters which they might think to be contentious" (Haight 1978, p.124).
Literary censorship ought to be challenged by the Librarian in the maintenance of his responsibility to provide public information and enlightenment. How can he present vital problems and issues of our times because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval? Why was the British novelist Salman Rushdie condemned to death in February 1989 by Iran's Ayatollah Khomeni because his novel The Satanic Verses was viewed as blasphemous and insulting to Islam? Why did Dr. Omar Abdel Rahman, leader of an illegal political group, declare a 'fatwa' against the Nobel Prize-Winning Egyptian author, Naguib Mahfouz for his book Children of Gabalawy in April 1989? This was why Thomas Jefferson caustically noted that "I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man" ((Haight 1978, p.124).
The evil which results from literary censorship is almost impossible to measure by the Librarian because it is very difficult to tell where it ends. It is nothing less than the danger of stopping the whole progress of the human mind in all its paths. The Librarian bases his/her profession as much on the freedom of the mind as the profession of medicine is based on the responsibility for the care of the body or the profession of law for equitable determination of the relative rights of individuals, or of the individual and society. S/he believes in "the absolute freedom of the mind as an ideal; if not a practical goal" (Eli 1980, p.230).
CONCLUSION
Controlling the individual through literary censorship is therefore nothing but an infringement of fundamental human rights. The Librarian does not foster education by imposing as mentor of the pattern of his/her own thought. The people should have the freedom to read and consider a broad range of ideas. It is wrong that what one man can read should be confined to what another thinks proper. Free communication is essential in the preservation of a free society and a creative culture. Librarian should therefore continue to challenge censorship in maintaining their role and responsibility of providing public information and enlightenment. They should also co-operate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgement of free expression and free access to ideas.
Friday, August 22, 2008
How to Find a Literary Agent - Without Getting Scammed
How to find a literary agency without getting scammed is a challenge for any new writer. Anyone can call themselves a literary agent or a publisher. The listings in the literary agency directories are not necessarily vetted, or checked by the publisher.
Literary agents vary widely in ethics, dedication and competence.
Here's what to watch out for with literary agents:
• Charging the author a fee up front, to be accepted as a client. This fee can be called a reading fee, or a monthly “office expenses” charge. The best agents, and most successful ones, only charge a percentage fee of royalties the author earns, typically 15%. Suppose a realtor charged you a fee to come over and tour your house before getting the listing? How quickly would you show that realtor the door. . .
• Charging back unusually large “postage and copying fees” to send out an authors’ work. One crooked agency accepts almost every client that contacts them, but in the fine print of the contract they charge “postage and handling” of up to $10 per submission they send out on your behalf. It doesn’t cost $10 to send a letter and a sample chapter of a book to a publisher. This company makes a fortune from these fees whether or not they successfully market any of their clients work.
• Directing authors toward specific editing services or giving authors’ names to these services. Sometimes they even own the editing service. Some agents make a significant portion of their income from referral fees from these services.
• Demanding that a critique be completed before the agency decides to offer representation. The fee for the critique may be minimal, perhaps even less than $100. But if the average agency is contacted by 90 writers a week that fee can add up.
• Terms in agency contracts with writers vary widely. The contract must be read carefully.
• The agent contacts publishers pretty much at random. The agent’s value to you is in the relationships they have with publishers, so that if the publisher hears from them, they know the book is worth taking a look at. Ask to see copies of rejection letters that come back from publishers. If it looks like just a form letter response, rather than a letter you would send to an acquaintance, you can bet the agent may be just picking names out of a directory of publishers.
• The agent refuses to provide the names of clients or titles sold. Sales are an agent’s life blood and reputation. If an agent won’t name names it could be because there aren’t any sales.
• Puts forth a weak effort or gives up on the client’s project after a few months. You have a right to ask how active the agent is going to be. How many publishers are they going to contact, how will they follow up? You have a right to periodic reports as to whom they have contacted and the results. You must determine how much time and attention they are really going to give you.
A critical reason it is imperative to have a reputable agent is that the publishing house typically pays the agent, who deducts their “cut” and sends the remainder to the author. It’s a frightening thought that a less than honest person gets their hands on the money you’ve earned from sweat, blood, and even tears.
Now you know how to find a literary agent without getting scammed. And remember:
Literary agents vary widely in ethics, dedication and competence.
Here's what to watch out for with literary agents:
• Charging the author a fee up front, to be accepted as a client. This fee can be called a reading fee, or a monthly “office expenses” charge. The best agents, and most successful ones, only charge a percentage fee of royalties the author earns, typically 15%. Suppose a realtor charged you a fee to come over and tour your house before getting the listing? How quickly would you show that realtor the door. . .
• Charging back unusually large “postage and copying fees” to send out an authors’ work. One crooked agency accepts almost every client that contacts them, but in the fine print of the contract they charge “postage and handling” of up to $10 per submission they send out on your behalf. It doesn’t cost $10 to send a letter and a sample chapter of a book to a publisher. This company makes a fortune from these fees whether or not they successfully market any of their clients work.
• Directing authors toward specific editing services or giving authors’ names to these services. Sometimes they even own the editing service. Some agents make a significant portion of their income from referral fees from these services.
• Demanding that a critique be completed before the agency decides to offer representation. The fee for the critique may be minimal, perhaps even less than $100. But if the average agency is contacted by 90 writers a week that fee can add up.
• Terms in agency contracts with writers vary widely. The contract must be read carefully.
• The agent contacts publishers pretty much at random. The agent’s value to you is in the relationships they have with publishers, so that if the publisher hears from them, they know the book is worth taking a look at. Ask to see copies of rejection letters that come back from publishers. If it looks like just a form letter response, rather than a letter you would send to an acquaintance, you can bet the agent may be just picking names out of a directory of publishers.
• The agent refuses to provide the names of clients or titles sold. Sales are an agent’s life blood and reputation. If an agent won’t name names it could be because there aren’t any sales.
• Puts forth a weak effort or gives up on the client’s project after a few months. You have a right to ask how active the agent is going to be. How many publishers are they going to contact, how will they follow up? You have a right to periodic reports as to whom they have contacted and the results. You must determine how much time and attention they are really going to give you.
A critical reason it is imperative to have a reputable agent is that the publishing house typically pays the agent, who deducts their “cut” and sends the remainder to the author. It’s a frightening thought that a less than honest person gets their hands on the money you’ve earned from sweat, blood, and even tears.
Now you know how to find a literary agent without getting scammed. And remember:
Literary Censorship And Infringement Of Human Rights - Role Of The Librarian
INTRODUCTION
In this age of information explosion, the Librarian is supposed to be an opener of blocked pathways in the maze of knowledge, a blazer of trails in the encompassing dark forest of ignorance and a leader in keeping the human mind free. To censor is to act so as to change or suppress speech or writing that is condemned as subversive of the common good. Literary censorship goes back to the office of censor established in Rome in 443 B.C. but however honourable the origins of its name, it is today generally regarded as a relic of an unenlightened and much more oppressive age. It is an infringement of human rights and affects the Librarian in many ways. It also affects the Universal Availability of Publications (UAP), a programme developed within the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) and supported by United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
Prohibition of the production, distribution, circulation or sale of material considered being objectionable for reasons of politics, religion, obscenity or blasphemy is an infringement of the individual's right. It contradicts the most powerful statement of the global aspiration of respect for human rights, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly. Article 19 is an independent and impartial human rights legislation established in 1986 to promote freedom of expression to combat censorship worldwide. It reads: "every one has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers" (Shawcross 1991, p.409). The African Charter on Human Rights, European Convention on Human Rights, the Arab Charter on Human Rights and the Helsinki Final Acts - to mention a few- all stress that everyone should have the right to freedom of expression; a right that includes freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his/her choice.
HUMAN RIGHTS IN 'DEMOCRATIC' SOCIETIES
In practice one sees the opposite. Even the quite open society of Athens had limits, as indicated by the trial and conviction of youth and acknowledgement of unorthodox divinities. In the ancient Greek communities, it was assumed that the character of a people would and should be shaped by that of the government. In the ancient Chinese system, control of the information was retained - not by the information worker - but by the authorities who also determined the contents of the authoritative texts. Perhaps the most dramatic form of literary censorship in Christendom was the Index Librorum Prohibitorum, a list of books Roman Catholics were prohibited by ecclesiastical authority from reading or keeping without permission. Such books could not be imported into countries where Roman Catholic control was considerable. The Roman Catholic Church used this index to police the literature available to its followers.
THE ROLE OF THE LIBRARIAN IN SOCIETY
The Librarian serves the precious liberties of the nation; freedom of inquiry, freedom of the spoken or written word and freedom of the exchange of ideas. A democracy smugly disdainful of new ideas could be dismissed as a sick democracy and a democracy chronically fearful of new ideas would be a dying democracy. The last person to be a censor should be the Librarian whose responsibility is to provide materials which stimulate growth in factual knowledge, literary appreciation, aesthetic values and ethical standards. S/he provides a background of information which will enable citizens to make intelligent judgements in their daily lives. By providing materials on opposing sides of controversial issues, citizens develop the intellectual practice of critical reading and thinking.
IFLA AND THE UNIVERSAL AVAILABILITY OF PUBLICATIONS
It would not be farfetched to state that IFLA is aware of the roles and responsibilities of the Librarian. In addition to its basic functions carried out by the divisions, sections and round tables, a number of core programmes have been established to meet the requirements of the information community. These include the Universal Availability of Publications, Universal Bibliographic Control International MARC, Preservation and Conservation, Universal Dataflow of Telecommunications and the Advancement of Librarianship in the Third World. The Universal Availability of Publications, a programme developed within IFLA and supported by UNESCO could be seen as a battle against literary censorship. It is concerned with promoting the availability of publications all over the world. It covers not only libraries but publishing and bookselling, not only books and journals but audiovisual and electronic media, not only research libraries but school and public libraries. The ultimate objective is that "all publications, wherever and whenever published should be available to anyone, wherever and whenever they are wanted" (Membrey 1990, p.35). This is the ideal position in which IFLA stations the Librarian. The existence of a free and democratic society and an honestly administered government depends upon recognition of the concept that justice is based upon the rule of law grounded in respect for the dignity of the individual and his capacity - through reason - for enlightened government. Each individual has the right to a self-actuated existence to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It is therefore the right of each to have uncensored access to unaltered information of both a serious and frivolous nature. The librarian (an Information Professional) provides access to accumulated knowledge and information and plays a vital role in the preservation of society and the freedom of the individual. The statement of the professionals on Code of Ethics of the California Library Association and the California Society of Librarians aptly noted that the librarian has an obligation "to make the widest diversity of views and expressions, including those which are unorthodox and unpopular with the majority, available to any individual and has a further obligation to make known to each individual the breath of information extant" (Taylor 1976, p.800).
THE LIBRARIAN AND LITERARY CENSORSHIP
Literary censorship is a giant cankerworm in every society. Governments invoke a wide range or variety of reasons for justifying literary censorship, for justifying secrecy and for taking actions against individuals because of their opinions. The claim that freedom should be limited in order to protect the rights of others is one of the most common reasons given for literary censorship. This includes privacy, defamation and protection of reputation. National and state security, sedition, public interest, public health, public morals, public order, violence, racism, sexism, religious intolerance (heresy and blasphemy), linguistic and cultural hegemony, propaganda (government propaganda and disinformation), special situations (state of emergency, election periods and war), media bias, copyright and intellectual property, corruption) are other reasons cited. In response, a variety of methods - direct and indirect- are employed to suppress the rights and freedom of expression and information. Press laws, licensing, attacks and restrictions on information workers (illicit killings, death threats and beatings, kidnappings and disappearances, arrests, detention and imprisonment, restrictions on movements and expulsions, dismissals and harassment) are some of these methods. A close study or examination of these reasons reveals that many lack justification in the sense that they are not recognized as permissible restrictions under international law, and in fact many have illegitimate aims, such as the suppression of criticism and unorthodox ideas. It is against such a background that the Librarian is supposed to disseminate information. Denying the individual the right to information because of age, race, religion, national origins or social or political views is a clear infringement of human rights. Over many years, librarians and other information workers have "fought many shades of opinion to defend the principle of the free dissemination of information. Librarians recognize the need for an appropriate balance to be maintained within the materials which they make available to reflect differing extremes or shade of opinion on matters which they might think to be contentious" (Haight 1978, p.124).
Literary censorship ought to be challenged by the Librarian in the maintenance of his responsibility to provide public information and enlightenment. How can he present vital problems and issues of our times because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval? Why was the British novelist Salman Rushdie condemned to death in February 1989 by Iran's Ayatollah Khomeni because his novel The Satanic Verses was viewed as blasphemous and insulting to Islam? Why did Dr. Omar Abdel Rahman, leader of an illegal political group, declare a 'fatwa' against the Nobel Prize-Winning Egyptian author, Naguib Mahfouz for his book Children of Gabalawy in April 1989? This was why Thomas Jefferson caustically noted that "I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man" ((Haight 1978, p.124).
The evil which results from literary censorship is almost impossible to measure by the Librarian because it is very difficult to tell where it ends. It is nothing less than the danger of stopping the whole progress of the human mind in all its paths. The Librarian bases his/her profession as much on the freedom of the mind as the profession of medicine is based on the responsibility for the care of the body or the profession of law for equitable determination of the relative rights of individuals, or of the individual and society. S/he believes in "the absolute freedom of the mind as an ideal; if not a practical goal" (Eli 1980, p.230).
CONCLUSION
Controlling the individual through literary censorship is therefore nothing but an infringement of fundamental human rights. The Librarian does not foster education by imposing as mentor of the pattern of his/her own thought. The people should have the freedom to read and consider a broad range of ideas. It is wrong that what one man can read should be confined to what another thinks proper. Free communication is essential in the preservation of a free society and a creative culture. Librarian should therefore continue to challenge censorship in maintaining their role and responsibility of providing public information and enlightenment. They should also co-operate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgement of free expression and free access to ideas.
In this age of information explosion, the Librarian is supposed to be an opener of blocked pathways in the maze of knowledge, a blazer of trails in the encompassing dark forest of ignorance and a leader in keeping the human mind free. To censor is to act so as to change or suppress speech or writing that is condemned as subversive of the common good. Literary censorship goes back to the office of censor established in Rome in 443 B.C. but however honourable the origins of its name, it is today generally regarded as a relic of an unenlightened and much more oppressive age. It is an infringement of human rights and affects the Librarian in many ways. It also affects the Universal Availability of Publications (UAP), a programme developed within the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) and supported by United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
Prohibition of the production, distribution, circulation or sale of material considered being objectionable for reasons of politics, religion, obscenity or blasphemy is an infringement of the individual's right. It contradicts the most powerful statement of the global aspiration of respect for human rights, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly. Article 19 is an independent and impartial human rights legislation established in 1986 to promote freedom of expression to combat censorship worldwide. It reads: "every one has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers" (Shawcross 1991, p.409). The African Charter on Human Rights, European Convention on Human Rights, the Arab Charter on Human Rights and the Helsinki Final Acts - to mention a few- all stress that everyone should have the right to freedom of expression; a right that includes freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his/her choice.
HUMAN RIGHTS IN 'DEMOCRATIC' SOCIETIES
In practice one sees the opposite. Even the quite open society of Athens had limits, as indicated by the trial and conviction of youth and acknowledgement of unorthodox divinities. In the ancient Greek communities, it was assumed that the character of a people would and should be shaped by that of the government. In the ancient Chinese system, control of the information was retained - not by the information worker - but by the authorities who also determined the contents of the authoritative texts. Perhaps the most dramatic form of literary censorship in Christendom was the Index Librorum Prohibitorum, a list of books Roman Catholics were prohibited by ecclesiastical authority from reading or keeping without permission. Such books could not be imported into countries where Roman Catholic control was considerable. The Roman Catholic Church used this index to police the literature available to its followers.
THE ROLE OF THE LIBRARIAN IN SOCIETY
The Librarian serves the precious liberties of the nation; freedom of inquiry, freedom of the spoken or written word and freedom of the exchange of ideas. A democracy smugly disdainful of new ideas could be dismissed as a sick democracy and a democracy chronically fearful of new ideas would be a dying democracy. The last person to be a censor should be the Librarian whose responsibility is to provide materials which stimulate growth in factual knowledge, literary appreciation, aesthetic values and ethical standards. S/he provides a background of information which will enable citizens to make intelligent judgements in their daily lives. By providing materials on opposing sides of controversial issues, citizens develop the intellectual practice of critical reading and thinking.
IFLA AND THE UNIVERSAL AVAILABILITY OF PUBLICATIONS
It would not be farfetched to state that IFLA is aware of the roles and responsibilities of the Librarian. In addition to its basic functions carried out by the divisions, sections and round tables, a number of core programmes have been established to meet the requirements of the information community. These include the Universal Availability of Publications, Universal Bibliographic Control International MARC, Preservation and Conservation, Universal Dataflow of Telecommunications and the Advancement of Librarianship in the Third World. The Universal Availability of Publications, a programme developed within IFLA and supported by UNESCO could be seen as a battle against literary censorship. It is concerned with promoting the availability of publications all over the world. It covers not only libraries but publishing and bookselling, not only books and journals but audiovisual and electronic media, not only research libraries but school and public libraries. The ultimate objective is that "all publications, wherever and whenever published should be available to anyone, wherever and whenever they are wanted" (Membrey 1990, p.35). This is the ideal position in which IFLA stations the Librarian. The existence of a free and democratic society and an honestly administered government depends upon recognition of the concept that justice is based upon the rule of law grounded in respect for the dignity of the individual and his capacity - through reason - for enlightened government. Each individual has the right to a self-actuated existence to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It is therefore the right of each to have uncensored access to unaltered information of both a serious and frivolous nature. The librarian (an Information Professional) provides access to accumulated knowledge and information and plays a vital role in the preservation of society and the freedom of the individual. The statement of the professionals on Code of Ethics of the California Library Association and the California Society of Librarians aptly noted that the librarian has an obligation "to make the widest diversity of views and expressions, including those which are unorthodox and unpopular with the majority, available to any individual and has a further obligation to make known to each individual the breath of information extant" (Taylor 1976, p.800).
THE LIBRARIAN AND LITERARY CENSORSHIP
Literary censorship is a giant cankerworm in every society. Governments invoke a wide range or variety of reasons for justifying literary censorship, for justifying secrecy and for taking actions against individuals because of their opinions. The claim that freedom should be limited in order to protect the rights of others is one of the most common reasons given for literary censorship. This includes privacy, defamation and protection of reputation. National and state security, sedition, public interest, public health, public morals, public order, violence, racism, sexism, religious intolerance (heresy and blasphemy), linguistic and cultural hegemony, propaganda (government propaganda and disinformation), special situations (state of emergency, election periods and war), media bias, copyright and intellectual property, corruption) are other reasons cited. In response, a variety of methods - direct and indirect- are employed to suppress the rights and freedom of expression and information. Press laws, licensing, attacks and restrictions on information workers (illicit killings, death threats and beatings, kidnappings and disappearances, arrests, detention and imprisonment, restrictions on movements and expulsions, dismissals and harassment) are some of these methods. A close study or examination of these reasons reveals that many lack justification in the sense that they are not recognized as permissible restrictions under international law, and in fact many have illegitimate aims, such as the suppression of criticism and unorthodox ideas. It is against such a background that the Librarian is supposed to disseminate information. Denying the individual the right to information because of age, race, religion, national origins or social or political views is a clear infringement of human rights. Over many years, librarians and other information workers have "fought many shades of opinion to defend the principle of the free dissemination of information. Librarians recognize the need for an appropriate balance to be maintained within the materials which they make available to reflect differing extremes or shade of opinion on matters which they might think to be contentious" (Haight 1978, p.124).
Literary censorship ought to be challenged by the Librarian in the maintenance of his responsibility to provide public information and enlightenment. How can he present vital problems and issues of our times because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval? Why was the British novelist Salman Rushdie condemned to death in February 1989 by Iran's Ayatollah Khomeni because his novel The Satanic Verses was viewed as blasphemous and insulting to Islam? Why did Dr. Omar Abdel Rahman, leader of an illegal political group, declare a 'fatwa' against the Nobel Prize-Winning Egyptian author, Naguib Mahfouz for his book Children of Gabalawy in April 1989? This was why Thomas Jefferson caustically noted that "I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man" ((Haight 1978, p.124).
The evil which results from literary censorship is almost impossible to measure by the Librarian because it is very difficult to tell where it ends. It is nothing less than the danger of stopping the whole progress of the human mind in all its paths. The Librarian bases his/her profession as much on the freedom of the mind as the profession of medicine is based on the responsibility for the care of the body or the profession of law for equitable determination of the relative rights of individuals, or of the individual and society. S/he believes in "the absolute freedom of the mind as an ideal; if not a practical goal" (Eli 1980, p.230).
CONCLUSION
Controlling the individual through literary censorship is therefore nothing but an infringement of fundamental human rights. The Librarian does not foster education by imposing as mentor of the pattern of his/her own thought. The people should have the freedom to read and consider a broad range of ideas. It is wrong that what one man can read should be confined to what another thinks proper. Free communication is essential in the preservation of a free society and a creative culture. Librarian should therefore continue to challenge censorship in maintaining their role and responsibility of providing public information and enlightenment. They should also co-operate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgement of free expression and free access to ideas.
An Ageless Austenian Work of Literary Pride
Jane Austen’s "Pride and Prejudice" is a supremely timeless study of how a free-spirited woman in the 19th century Britain countryside begins to accept herself for who she is. No matter how many times it has been adapted for the stage and screen, several generations of both men and women alike have come to treasure the novel’s universal quintessence of what it means to be human.
Almost every female who lived during the famed author’s era, and those living in today’s trend-setting society, can, no doubt, clearly identify with Elizabeth Bennett’s drive towards independence and mature self-righteousness. In fact, you might as well say that both Elizabeth and the author herself were vast years ahead of their time.
Austen’s literary prodigy doesn’t see herself as “pretty,” but we can almost immediately start to believe that her perceptive emotional intelligence is what ultimately makes her tick. Although she is too trustworthy of herself because of Darcy’s defective judgments against her, she soon realizes that her seeming superiority over others can make her change and grow for the better, even if her rational decision-making is far from the reaches of true flawlessness.
Another unforgettable moral code in this irresistible story of individualistic love and integrity is one that’s particularly inspiring. In a world where the gap between the rich and the poor is ever more apparent, almost every avid reader can certainly come to grips with their social injustices and hopefully transform themselves out of respect for others not necessarily “like” them. Early on in the story, Lady Catherine demands that Elizabeth not marry Fitzwilliam Darcy, a tremendously affluent and stridently reserved aristocrat. Catherine is so arrogant about his proposal to wed Elizabeth that once she begins to embarrass him, she begins to have a sudden change of heart.
Elizabeth, knowing that she requires an open, honest aptitude towards her partner, finally ties the knot, and all, including the once-cynical Lady Catherine, live happily thereafter.
There are a vast majority of young women nowadays who want to marry or have a serious, committed relationship with a man not because of his charming personality, but because of his socioeconomic prestige and movie-starish looks. Love doesn’t necessarily conquer all in this increasingly complex world, but life in overtly materialistic 21st century America can still pick up on Elizabeth’s peerless self-determination to make things as best as they make it to be. As we should all know by now, money isn’t everything. The true aspect of life that does matter, on the other hand, is something that, regardless of social and cultural change, remains to be cherished: It is what we know on the inside rather than the outside that can make us come together. And that, as you can see, is what we can call sheer, Lady Catherine-like redemption.
Almost every female who lived during the famed author’s era, and those living in today’s trend-setting society, can, no doubt, clearly identify with Elizabeth Bennett’s drive towards independence and mature self-righteousness. In fact, you might as well say that both Elizabeth and the author herself were vast years ahead of their time.
Austen’s literary prodigy doesn’t see herself as “pretty,” but we can almost immediately start to believe that her perceptive emotional intelligence is what ultimately makes her tick. Although she is too trustworthy of herself because of Darcy’s defective judgments against her, she soon realizes that her seeming superiority over others can make her change and grow for the better, even if her rational decision-making is far from the reaches of true flawlessness.
Another unforgettable moral code in this irresistible story of individualistic love and integrity is one that’s particularly inspiring. In a world where the gap between the rich and the poor is ever more apparent, almost every avid reader can certainly come to grips with their social injustices and hopefully transform themselves out of respect for others not necessarily “like” them. Early on in the story, Lady Catherine demands that Elizabeth not marry Fitzwilliam Darcy, a tremendously affluent and stridently reserved aristocrat. Catherine is so arrogant about his proposal to wed Elizabeth that once she begins to embarrass him, she begins to have a sudden change of heart.
Elizabeth, knowing that she requires an open, honest aptitude towards her partner, finally ties the knot, and all, including the once-cynical Lady Catherine, live happily thereafter.
There are a vast majority of young women nowadays who want to marry or have a serious, committed relationship with a man not because of his charming personality, but because of his socioeconomic prestige and movie-starish looks. Love doesn’t necessarily conquer all in this increasingly complex world, but life in overtly materialistic 21st century America can still pick up on Elizabeth’s peerless self-determination to make things as best as they make it to be. As we should all know by now, money isn’t everything. The true aspect of life that does matter, on the other hand, is something that, regardless of social and cultural change, remains to be cherished: It is what we know on the inside rather than the outside that can make us come together. And that, as you can see, is what we can call sheer, Lady Catherine-like redemption.
Indian English Literature
Indian English literature (IEL) refers to the body of work English writers in India. It all started in the summers of 1608 when Emperor Jahangir, in the courts of Moguls, welcomed Captain William Hawkins, Commander of British Naval Expedition Hector. It was India's first tryst with an Englishman and English. Jahangir later allowed Britain to open a permanent port and factory on the special request of King James IV that was conveyed by his ambassador Sir Thomas Roe. English people stay there.
The native and co-native language of these writers could be one of the numerous languages of India. Indian English literature is an endeavor of showcasing the rare gems of Indian writing in English. From being a curious native explosion, English in India has become a new form of Indian culture, and voice in which India can speak.
The Indian authors such as poets, novelists, essayists, dramatists have now been making significant contributions to world literature since the pre-Independence era, the past few years have seen a massive flourishing of Indian English writing in the international market. After writing in English Indian authors soaring on the best seller's list and also receiving critical acclaim.
There are many names that contribute in the Indian literature to move it on the top. Some of the important names are Mulakh Raj Anand, R. K. Narayan, Anita Desai, Toru Dutt, Salman Rushdie, Vikram Seth, Allan Sealy, Amitav Ghosh, Jhumpa Lahiri, Chitra Banerjee, Divakaruni, Arundhati Roy, Vikram Chandra all of these came in the parade of fine Indian writers.
India was under the British rule but English was adopted by the Indians as a language of knowledge, education and literary expression behind with an important means of communication among various people of different religions.
The native and co-native language of these writers could be one of the numerous languages of India. Indian English literature is an endeavor of showcasing the rare gems of Indian writing in English. From being a curious native explosion, English in India has become a new form of Indian culture, and voice in which India can speak.
The Indian authors such as poets, novelists, essayists, dramatists have now been making significant contributions to world literature since the pre-Independence era, the past few years have seen a massive flourishing of Indian English writing in the international market. After writing in English Indian authors soaring on the best seller's list and also receiving critical acclaim.
There are many names that contribute in the Indian literature to move it on the top. Some of the important names are Mulakh Raj Anand, R. K. Narayan, Anita Desai, Toru Dutt, Salman Rushdie, Vikram Seth, Allan Sealy, Amitav Ghosh, Jhumpa Lahiri, Chitra Banerjee, Divakaruni, Arundhati Roy, Vikram Chandra all of these came in the parade of fine Indian writers.
India was under the British rule but English was adopted by the Indians as a language of knowledge, education and literary expression behind with an important means of communication among various people of different religions.
American English: Listen and Learn Essential Differences
The voiced and unvoiced consonants
In this section we will try to clarify the difference between the voiced consonants and the unvoiced consonants.
If you want to master English pronunciation you have to able to distinguish between these two types of consonants. This is necessary for you to learn the proper pronunciation when you learn new vocabulary. And more importantly you need to know the difference between voiced and unvoiced consonants to be able to pronounce the words of English correctly. What makes one consonant be voiced and another not?
A consonant is voiced when it makes the vocal cords vibrate. It is voiceless when it is pronounced without vibrating the vocal cords.
The sound of the letters "p" and "b"
For example, the sounds indicated by the letters "b" and "p" differ only in their vocalization (voicing). The are both "bilabials", that is, they are produced by closing both lips. But the "b" is voiced and the "p" is unvoiced. In this article, we will follow common practice and indicate the letters of the alphabet with quotes (“b” and “p”) and the sounds with slashes (/b/ and /p/)
You can appreciate the difference by lightly touching with the tips of your fingers your "Adam's Apple" (the voice box that you can see in the front of your throat) as you pronounce the word bowl . You can feel the vibration with the tips of our fingers. Concentrate on the first sound, the consonant /b/ before passing to the vowel represented by the "o". Notice that you can lengthen the sound (something is heard!) without the "o". This is because /b/ is a voiced consonant.
Now pronounce the word pole. Do you feel the vibration in the vocal cords? No. The reason is that /p/ is an unvoiced consonant. Notice that you you can't lengthen the sound or hear anything.
When you pronounce these sounds, don't forget the advice we already gave you in other articles: exaggerate the value of the vowel "o" with a strong English accent!
Listen to the following exercise until you can distinguish betwen the two sounds and produce them yourself.
You should be able to telll the difference between the /p/ and the /b/ in the sentence The doctor said: "Bill, take your pill!
Try it now!
The sounds of the English letters /k/ (sometimes "c") and /g/
It is not only the sounds /p/ and /b/ that are voiced or unvoiced. The same distinction holds for the sounds represented by the letters "k" y "g" in the International Phonetic Alphabet. By the way, do you see that it will not be hard for you to learn the symbols of the IPA? Many of the symbols, like the k and the g are already familiar to you. They are the normal letters of the alphabet.
The IPA symbol k interests us now. It is the "hard" sound of the letter "c", the sound that the letter "c" usually takes before the letters "a", "o", and "u", for example in the words car, coat, cube.
Now can you see how the IPA system makes it easy for you to learn the pronunciation of new words? Now, we don't have to worry that sometimes the letter "c" has the sound of the IPA symbol k (as in the word cold) or that sometimes the same letter "c" of the English alphabet is pronounced as the IPA s (as in the words cell ).
Now try to feel in your voice box the vibration in the word coal! You can't because it is the unvoiced partner in the pair. If you touch your voice box while you pronounce the word goal, you do feel the vibration because the sound g is voiced.
Practice the two words coal and goal. But keep on pronouncing the the English vowel with its lengthening. Exaggerate the English language character of the vowel. Don't pronounce it as if it were col or gol in your language. And also remember the explosive nature of the consonant represented by the "c" in English when it is pronounced as the IPA k. Blow out the candle when you say coal.
Pero… ¡Qué no suene como si hablaras del repollo (la col en el Perú) o del fútbol (el gol)! ¡Cuidado con tu acento hispano!
Did you notice that we review various important things about the English sounds as we move along in this book. From now on, in your listening and in your practice, you must remember the explosive consonants, the special English vowels, and the voiced or unvoiced consonants.
Listen and practice all these essential elements of English pronunciation.
The sound of the letters "t" and "d"
Consider the pair of words tear and dear. Do the same with these words as you did above with the pairs of words coal and goal, and pole and bowl. Can you distinguish which of the initial sounds is voiced and which is unvoiced? Both are pronounced in almost the same place in the mouth but the initial sound of these two words is different in that the letter "t" is usually voiceless and the "d" is usually voiced. However, do NOT think that the letter "d" in English is always voiced. You will see that sometimes this letter "d" represents a voiceless sound. This is a VERY important lesson in the pronunciation of English and when you learn how and when the "d" is unvoiced it will be a valuable tool for you in your mastery of English.
This difference between the letters "d" and "t" in English is very important in the matter of the past tense of verbs. We will treat this elsewhere.
Also there is another pair of voiced and unvoiced consonants, the sounds represented in English by the letters "s" and "z". We will study them in their most important contexts, that of the third person singular of the present of verbs, and that of the plural of nouns.
But for now, concentrate on the consonants we just looked at.
Now listen and practice! Listen wherever you can (or listen in our book) to the different pairs of voiced and unvoiced consonants. Then make them yourself.
P and B
K and G
T and D
This lesson is taken from the book, “Word Power” which contains sound files that let you hear the vowels and consonants and practice their pronunciation.
In this section we will try to clarify the difference between the voiced consonants and the unvoiced consonants.
If you want to master English pronunciation you have to able to distinguish between these two types of consonants. This is necessary for you to learn the proper pronunciation when you learn new vocabulary. And more importantly you need to know the difference between voiced and unvoiced consonants to be able to pronounce the words of English correctly. What makes one consonant be voiced and another not?
A consonant is voiced when it makes the vocal cords vibrate. It is voiceless when it is pronounced without vibrating the vocal cords.
The sound of the letters "p" and "b"
For example, the sounds indicated by the letters "b" and "p" differ only in their vocalization (voicing). The are both "bilabials", that is, they are produced by closing both lips. But the "b" is voiced and the "p" is unvoiced. In this article, we will follow common practice and indicate the letters of the alphabet with quotes (“b” and “p”) and the sounds with slashes (/b/ and /p/)
You can appreciate the difference by lightly touching with the tips of your fingers your "Adam's Apple" (the voice box that you can see in the front of your throat) as you pronounce the word bowl . You can feel the vibration with the tips of our fingers. Concentrate on the first sound, the consonant /b/ before passing to the vowel represented by the "o". Notice that you can lengthen the sound (something is heard!) without the "o". This is because /b/ is a voiced consonant.
Now pronounce the word pole. Do you feel the vibration in the vocal cords? No. The reason is that /p/ is an unvoiced consonant. Notice that you you can't lengthen the sound or hear anything.
When you pronounce these sounds, don't forget the advice we already gave you in other articles: exaggerate the value of the vowel "o" with a strong English accent!
Listen to the following exercise until you can distinguish betwen the two sounds and produce them yourself.
You should be able to telll the difference between the /p/ and the /b/ in the sentence The doctor said: "Bill, take your pill!
Try it now!
The sounds of the English letters /k/ (sometimes "c") and /g/
It is not only the sounds /p/ and /b/ that are voiced or unvoiced. The same distinction holds for the sounds represented by the letters "k" y "g" in the International Phonetic Alphabet. By the way, do you see that it will not be hard for you to learn the symbols of the IPA? Many of the symbols, like the k and the g are already familiar to you. They are the normal letters of the alphabet.
The IPA symbol k interests us now. It is the "hard" sound of the letter "c", the sound that the letter "c" usually takes before the letters "a", "o", and "u", for example in the words car, coat, cube.
Now can you see how the IPA system makes it easy for you to learn the pronunciation of new words? Now, we don't have to worry that sometimes the letter "c" has the sound of the IPA symbol k (as in the word cold) or that sometimes the same letter "c" of the English alphabet is pronounced as the IPA s (as in the words cell ).
Now try to feel in your voice box the vibration in the word coal! You can't because it is the unvoiced partner in the pair. If you touch your voice box while you pronounce the word goal, you do feel the vibration because the sound g is voiced.
Practice the two words coal and goal. But keep on pronouncing the the English vowel with its lengthening. Exaggerate the English language character of the vowel. Don't pronounce it as if it were col or gol in your language. And also remember the explosive nature of the consonant represented by the "c" in English when it is pronounced as the IPA k. Blow out the candle when you say coal.
Pero… ¡Qué no suene como si hablaras del repollo (la col en el Perú) o del fútbol (el gol)! ¡Cuidado con tu acento hispano!
Did you notice that we review various important things about the English sounds as we move along in this book. From now on, in your listening and in your practice, you must remember the explosive consonants, the special English vowels, and the voiced or unvoiced consonants.
Listen and practice all these essential elements of English pronunciation.
The sound of the letters "t" and "d"
Consider the pair of words tear and dear. Do the same with these words as you did above with the pairs of words coal and goal, and pole and bowl. Can you distinguish which of the initial sounds is voiced and which is unvoiced? Both are pronounced in almost the same place in the mouth but the initial sound of these two words is different in that the letter "t" is usually voiceless and the "d" is usually voiced. However, do NOT think that the letter "d" in English is always voiced. You will see that sometimes this letter "d" represents a voiceless sound. This is a VERY important lesson in the pronunciation of English and when you learn how and when the "d" is unvoiced it will be a valuable tool for you in your mastery of English.
This difference between the letters "d" and "t" in English is very important in the matter of the past tense of verbs. We will treat this elsewhere.
Also there is another pair of voiced and unvoiced consonants, the sounds represented in English by the letters "s" and "z". We will study them in their most important contexts, that of the third person singular of the present of verbs, and that of the plural of nouns.
But for now, concentrate on the consonants we just looked at.
Now listen and practice! Listen wherever you can (or listen in our book) to the different pairs of voiced and unvoiced consonants. Then make them yourself.
P and B
K and G
T and D
This lesson is taken from the book, “Word Power” which contains sound files that let you hear the vowels and consonants and practice their pronunciation.
Bangla (Bengali) literature: Some reflections
The most tragic thing about Bangla (Bengali) literature today is the absence of information about it in Internet. Internet is the biggest place for information and millions of people are browsing for information and entertainment everyday. If you do a search in Google about Bangla (Bengali) literature you will have to feel frustrated.
Except Wikipedia and Bangla (Bengali)pedia there are not a lot of information about Bangla (Bengali) literature. This is ia tragic matter because Bangla (Bengali) literature is one of the richest literatures in the world. Rabindranath Tagore, the greatest figure in Bangla (Bengali) literature got Nobel Prize in 1913 and he was the first writer from outside of Europe and America to get this prestigious prize.
Tagore's achievement did not take place all of a sudden. Rather it came after 100 years of modernization and reformation process in Bangla (Bengali) literature that started with Rammohan Roy, the father of Indian reformation movement. It was Ram Mohan Roy who realized the need to reform the Indian society and embracing the liberal and positive aspects of the western civilization. A little later Michael Madhusudan Dutt turned this concept into reality in to Bangla (Bengali) literature by introducing sonnet and blank verse. Thus social reformation and modernization in literature occurred hand by hand in Bengal. The ground was prepared for Tagore to come and shine in the world literature.
It is true that Tagore almost single-handedly elevated Bangla (Bengali) literature to become one of the richest literatures in the contemporary world. Tagore's achievement made every Bengali writer proud and it created a new enthusiasm for them. After Tagore got Nobel Prize in 1913 the golden age of Bangla (Bengali) literature started and for the next 30 years it continued with a handful of writers in every genre. Kazi Nazrul Islam excelled in writing poems about social justice and he also successfully used both Hindu and Muslim heritage in his poems. It was in his poems that the idea of unity between Muslims and Hindus was echoed again and again. Sharatchandra emerged as the most popular novelist in Bangla (Bengali) literature. His novels touched people from every background in the society and still today his novels are most widely read in Bangla (Bengali) literature. Jibananda Das caught the attention of the readers for writing poems about nature and Bibhutibhushon Banerje did the same in prose in Bangla (Bengali) literature.
History of Bangla (Bengali) literature is more than 1200 years old and among the modern Indian languages (belonging to the Indic branch of Indo-Eurpean language Familiy) Bangla (Bengali) literature is among the earliest literatures. The first text of Bangla (Bengali) literature Charyapada was written perhaps in 9th or 8th century. This book is a collection of songs and poems written by a number poets (mainly Budhists). The poems contained description of everyday social life instead of praise to gods or goddesses.
The most fascinating aspect of Bangla (Bengali) literature is that poets and writers from 4 religions have contributed in its development. Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim and Christian writers have their contributions in Bangla (Bengali) literature and Bangla (Bengali) literature has been enriched from these religions too. The presence and interaction among the poets of different religions have made Bangla (Bengali) literature a literature of liberal humanism. Bangla (Bengali) literature influenced its speakers so much that in 1952 Bangla (Bengali)deshi people sacrificed their blood against the Pakistani rulers to uphold the status of Bangla (Bengali).
Except Wikipedia and Bangla (Bengali)pedia there are not a lot of information about Bangla (Bengali) literature. This is ia tragic matter because Bangla (Bengali) literature is one of the richest literatures in the world. Rabindranath Tagore, the greatest figure in Bangla (Bengali) literature got Nobel Prize in 1913 and he was the first writer from outside of Europe and America to get this prestigious prize.
Tagore's achievement did not take place all of a sudden. Rather it came after 100 years of modernization and reformation process in Bangla (Bengali) literature that started with Rammohan Roy, the father of Indian reformation movement. It was Ram Mohan Roy who realized the need to reform the Indian society and embracing the liberal and positive aspects of the western civilization. A little later Michael Madhusudan Dutt turned this concept into reality in to Bangla (Bengali) literature by introducing sonnet and blank verse. Thus social reformation and modernization in literature occurred hand by hand in Bengal. The ground was prepared for Tagore to come and shine in the world literature.
It is true that Tagore almost single-handedly elevated Bangla (Bengali) literature to become one of the richest literatures in the contemporary world. Tagore's achievement made every Bengali writer proud and it created a new enthusiasm for them. After Tagore got Nobel Prize in 1913 the golden age of Bangla (Bengali) literature started and for the next 30 years it continued with a handful of writers in every genre. Kazi Nazrul Islam excelled in writing poems about social justice and he also successfully used both Hindu and Muslim heritage in his poems. It was in his poems that the idea of unity between Muslims and Hindus was echoed again and again. Sharatchandra emerged as the most popular novelist in Bangla (Bengali) literature. His novels touched people from every background in the society and still today his novels are most widely read in Bangla (Bengali) literature. Jibananda Das caught the attention of the readers for writing poems about nature and Bibhutibhushon Banerje did the same in prose in Bangla (Bengali) literature.
History of Bangla (Bengali) literature is more than 1200 years old and among the modern Indian languages (belonging to the Indic branch of Indo-Eurpean language Familiy) Bangla (Bengali) literature is among the earliest literatures. The first text of Bangla (Bengali) literature Charyapada was written perhaps in 9th or 8th century. This book is a collection of songs and poems written by a number poets (mainly Budhists). The poems contained description of everyday social life instead of praise to gods or goddesses.
The most fascinating aspect of Bangla (Bengali) literature is that poets and writers from 4 religions have contributed in its development. Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim and Christian writers have their contributions in Bangla (Bengali) literature and Bangla (Bengali) literature has been enriched from these religions too. The presence and interaction among the poets of different religions have made Bangla (Bengali) literature a literature of liberal humanism. Bangla (Bengali) literature influenced its speakers so much that in 1952 Bangla (Bengali)deshi people sacrificed their blood against the Pakistani rulers to uphold the status of Bangla (Bengali).
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