Delightful Dozen

The Rays - Upendrakisor, Sukumar and Satyajit, are synonymous with genius in the Indian artistic milieu. While Upendrakisor spellbound the readers in the late eighteenth century, Sukumar Ray pioneered the genre of nonsense literature and is frequently compared with Lewis Carroll.

Works like Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne have become part of the Bengali idiom through their portrayal by the maestro’s grandson, the renowned film-maker Satyajit Ray.

Coupled with wonderful illustrations, Delightful Dozen is an attempt to recreate that magic for the readers of English prose. While Upendrakisor’s stories are simple and enchanting folk tales of Bengal, his son’s stories are set in the background of a school in rural Bengal. The uniqueness of the book lies in the fact that it brings together for the first time the father and son in one volume.

Upendrakisor Ray was a famous Bengali writer, painter, violin player and composer. He was born on 10 May 1863 in a little village called Moshua, now a part of Bangladesh. He pioneered the art of engraving in India and launched the first illustrated monthly magazine in India, Sandesh.

Sukumar Ray wrote verse and children’s rhymes with buoyancy, sparkling humour and flights of fancy. He commonly illustrated his writings himself. He remains today, the most popular and oft-quoted Bengali poet after Rabindranath Tagore.