Fulkumari: The Tale of a Refugee and a Rat in Pandemic Paris - Hardcover

Bhattacharya, Pinaki

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 2494635136 ISBN 13: 9782494635135

Publisher: Paris Institute for Critical Thinking, 2025

Synopsis

Amidst the quiet, deserted streets of pandemic Paris, a refugee from Bangladesh finds himself alone in his apartment with a tiny rat. He names her Fulkumari and forms an imaginary pact with her, reminiscent of the Arabian Nights. Telling her a story each day, the refugee unravels the layers of his past. Tales of revolution, famine, and civil war intertwine with the poetry, philosophy, and myths of an entire culture; precious moments of family intimacy come alive in flavours, smells, and sounds. As the bond between the two strengthens, each story becomes a thread in a tapestry of meaning, bravely reaffirming a world on the verge of falling apart.

About this title

About the Authors

PINAKI BHATTACHARYA is Bangladeshi physician, author, activist, and public intellectual based in Paris, France. His nineteen previous books span a broad range of topics from the history of Bangladesh to the philosophy of René Descartes and the poetry of Rabindranath Tagore. Since 2019, when he had to leave Bangladesh due to his human rights activism, Pinaki's online commentary on Bangladeshi current affairs has attracted a following of millions. Through his social media channels, Pinaki played a crucial role in mobilising the July-August Revolution of 2024 which toppled the fascist regime that had ruled Bangladesh for more than a decade.

DAVID SELIM SAYERS is a scholar of Turkey and the Ottoman Empire with a focus on history and literature.

Edition details

• Publisher: Paris Institute for Critical Thinking
• Publication date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 2494635136
• ISBN 13: 9782494635135
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 162
• Editor: Sayers David Selim