The magazine that published me first

Here is the third unforgettable character in my life …

Let me now mention about another Editor who played a major role in encouraging me in my writings. His was the magazine that published my first Bengali short story in 1967 - I came to know about it when I bought a copy of the magazine from the Howrah Station railway book stall on my way to Nashik for the first time!
The magazine was a creation of his father who was associated with the Calcutta station of All India Radio. As a result, the magazine boasted of a group of well-known writers who had links with the cinema as well. I was proud to be a part of this elite group.

The office of this magazine was located in the residence of the Editor’s family. It was a narrow lane in North Calcutta - the width of the lane was not enough for two cars to pass side by side. The letter press facilities was within the premises and the office had cupboards chock full of their publications – not just bound volumes of the magazines but mystery books also.
The Editor was a soft spoken gentleman and his advice to me has helped me in my endeavors. Be bold, he would say, write on subjects that others have not handled. Inspired by him, I created a super spy on the lines of James Bond – most of the exploits of this character appeared in the pages of his magazine. He even arranged for one of the selected stories to be reprinted in a best seller of a reputed publishing house. But, in due course of time, his magazine suffered the fate of many language magazines. They lost out on competition from publishers who had plenty of money and who threw scruples to the winds – they let loose a whole lot of gimmicks to gain cheap popularity and quality of the final product took a back seat. The magazine is dead from lack of patronage.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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