Letters of Blood

Bengali writer Riza Rahman’s numerous novels and short stories bring to life the difficult, mostly forgotten lives of Bangladesh’s poorest and most disadvantaged citizens. Her novel Letters of Blood is set in the often violent world of prostitution in Bangladesh. Rahman brings great sensitivity and insight to her chronicles of the lives of women trapped in that bleak world as they face the constant risk of physical abuse, disease, and pregnancy, while also all too often struggling with drug addiction. Published originally in Bengali in the 1978, Letters of Blood created a huge stir in Bangladesh for its frank depiction of the horrors of prostitution. Now available in English with a note from the author, this powerful, unforgettable story depicts a hard way of life, imbuing the women’s stories with great empathy and compassion.

‘Rahman’s stories are written without any apparent concern for the mechanics of conventional plotting, but are nevertheless beautifully shaped, with a poet’s concern for the telling image.’—Aamer Hussein, author of The Swan’s Wife