If you are interested in learning how to make undeniably great leather products, you can enjoy classes to make anything from shoes to handbags to gun straps, and much, much more! You can find more opportunities on the Internet but I have put together a list of some organizations that offer leather-making classes that I would highly recommend:

YWCA / YMCA

ywca.com or ymca.com Most people think of these notational organizations as being places to learn how to swim or where they can enjoy a good aerobics class. While both the YMCA and YWCA do offer these types of activities, they offer incredible classes that include leather making.

All you need to do is visit the website listed to find an organization where you live. Some of the classes offered include design and making of leather shoes, belts, handbags, hats, wallets, and more. The prices may vary but on average, you can expect to pay around $150 to $250 for a four- to six-week class.

jmwillowwinds.com/classes/classes.html

This company offers classes for many different types of leather making, which includes an excellent opportunity on how to make shoes and handbags from a skilled leather maker. In these classes, you will learn to design and construct shoes such as pumps, sandals, oxfords, and loafers. They also offer both a beginner and intermediate class. The classes run around $300 for 10 sessions.

heritan.com

If you live in Michigan and are interested in tanning, this is the place to take classes. The instructor is highly skilled and has many of his pieces seen on the big screen in movies such as Legend of the Falls and Thunderheart. You will learn the art of tanning hide using the traditional method of brain tanning and will have an awesome finished skin to take home.

One of the most popular classes is the “Brain-Tanned Buffalo Robe” class. If you are serious about tanning, you can tan a buffalo and make a wonderful finished product such as a bedroll.

tandyleather.com

With operations in Canada and Texas, Tandy Leather has been in business since 1991. At this company, you can buy leather wholesale and receive a guarantee on all your purchases. In addition to selling, they also offer classes in leather making.

advleather.com

They offer basic and advanced courses in the repair and restoration of leather furniture, automotive leathers, and other leather-uphostered items.

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Did you have a stamp collection as a child? A rock collection? Or, wait, was it a coin collection? All your collections are probably still with you, or maybe they’re stored in your basement somewhere. You understand the joy of running across this collection later in life and reliving your joyful moments with the collection as a child.

Now, you’re the parent. What types of things do you want to help your child begin collecting? Some of the things to consider when helping your child begin a collection are the feasibility, the durability, and the lovability of the collection.

Feasibility is your first step when considering beginning a collection. Collecting pieces from ancient Egyptian ruins is probably not a very feasible collection to convince your child to begin. Number one it’s illegal, as well as hard to find.

Other collections such as doll or furniture collections can begin to take up more room than you have available; thus, these are not very feasible either. Determine the amount of space you can dedicate to the collection as well as the costs that will be entailed before helping your child choose a collection.

The durability of a collection is also a consideration. The great thing about collecting stamps, rocks, or coins is that these things can last a long time when stored properly. My rock collection is still in the carton that I used to store it as a child.

Figurines and porcelain dolls are other examples of lasting collectibles. One of the greatest joys involved in a collection are the memories brought back when you revisit that collection as an adult.

Finally, the lovability of the collection is important. You are helping your child begin their first collection, and you want it to be something they will love and cherish when they look back on it in the future.

These are the times that you want them to be able to look back and remember about your relationship, so make these times special. For example, if you were to collect postcards, take special postcard collecting road trips. You will get to visit unique places while increasing your child’s collection.

Most importantly, always support your child’s hopes, dreams, and choices. Although collecting some types of artifacts is not very feasible, lead your child in a direction that will also peak their interest and support their dreams. Finally, enjoy your child as you help them create a wonderful collection to last a lifetime!

Janet Montie, quilter and author, contributes to FS Collectibles offering free information and resources for collectors. Articles by Janet can also be viewed at The Quilt Box and First Class Fabric

Framing watercolor pictures is now a huge widespread industry.

As education has been made available to children of all ages drawing and painting have been found to be useful tools to engage their attention. These children grow up with a first hand acquaintance of the joys and satisfactions to be founding in the graphic arts. An industry has developed supplying painting materials for this huge market for specialist painting products.

Picture framing is part of this wider industry and serves painters of all types and all levels of ability with high quality mass-produced framing services and products.

Framing watercolors is necessary to their preservation. How this is done is a personal thing but adopting the following suggestions will be more than helpful to set off your work in the best possible way to avoid later disappointment especially in the medium and long term.

The object of framing a watercolor is to present the painting at its best and to protect it from damage by dust organisms dampness and toxins in the air. The effect of framing therefore is to preserve the work and retain its value for its owner in the many years to come.

During the life of the painting reframing will probably be necessary to stave off deterioration from attack - let the frame system absorb the attack instead of the painting ground.

Framing is also necessary for selling work at exhibitions and framing also helps your own personal selling.

Framing too has undergone its own development and there are a number of dos and don’ts best adhered to until you know better.

The framing system consists of the following parts put together in a sort of sandwich with the painting as its central filling. These parts are:

The surround Frame.

The picture Glass.

The Mount.

The Picture.

The Backing.

The Taping

These are put together to form a single object - a framed watercolor painting.

There is a very important additional reason for framing the watercolor painting under glass. This relates to the very nature of watercolors. It is not generally appreciated a watercolor when complete before drying the colors are much brighter than when dry. In drying the color loses impact. This is because the water acts like a brightener. As the still wet picture is the effect the painter wanted to achieve if this is degraded in any way then the way to recover the color strength is to display it under glass.

There is a way to mitigate this loss of brightness and that is to paint as near dry as the medium will allow. Low tones though will not retain transparency if they are laid too dry

The work therefore must be given frequent checks under glass during actual painting to confirm how the impact of the color is progressing.

Frame sizes should be consistent to save paper and time lost when mix-ups occur if different dimensions are frequently used for each painting. Also exhibitions can look very untidy if there are too many sizes. If this is the case the pictures themselves have to be displayed in a kind of abstract layout to achieve unity of presentation.

Consistency in sizes will also convey some consistency in your work.

Sizes are defined by halving a full-sized sheet of paper into two standard half-sized sheets. Halve one half full-size sheet to obtain two quarter-full sized sheets.

Half full-sized standard sheets [555 x 375mm] are Normal painting sized sheets. Use this Normal Standard size for most of your work.

Only cut this size down if you need a smaller painting. Keep uncut full Size Sheets in a special portfolio.

A painting is often framed as if seen through a window. This to me is wrong - the frame with its mount and the picture should read as a single object. The following mount sizes below are approximately balanced to achieve this unity but are rounded for convenience and perhaps memory.

These sizes have been used for many years and have not been selected for the purposes of this text.

FULL SIZE PAINTING [In International mm]

Paper 760 x 555 mm

Window 720 x 520

Mount [overall] 900 x 700

Glass [overall] 900 x 700

Mount width ninety mm

HALF FULL SIZE

Paper 555 x 375

Window 520 x 360

Mount [overall] 680 x 520

Glass [overall] 680 x 520

Mount width eighty mm
QUARTER FULL SIZE

Paper 375 x 275

Window 360 x 260

Mount [overall] 500 x 400

Glass [overall] 500 x 400

Mount width seventy mm

For watercolor paintings the frames are best when small section medium or blonde tone natural wood matt finish hardwood timber is used. Please do not use colored frames. Black frames cause too much contrast and therefore glare between the frame edge and the glass or the wall behind. Simple small section classical molded wood frames are good.

Bulky wood frames should not be used.

Glass should be picture grade [not window glass] glass. Never use photographic non-reflective glass - ever!

Mounts should be warm white for warm toned paintings. Use cold white mounts for cool toned pictures. Mount should be of purpose made mount quality with the window cut on the bevel. It is unnecessary to use multi-frames and double mounts or built-up frames. If you feel this then probably the picture is not finished or too small for the size of picture frame you wish to use.

Backing should be hardboard - but not oil-bound hardboard. Sealing tape used should only be special framers’ tape. Defer to framer. Never use self adhesive tape unless it is purpose made for the job. The ground will slip in very hot weather.

There are two grades of professional framers. The first is the professional high street framer or framing workshop owner whose aim is to give you the best framing service he can within the competition environment in the locality.

The second is the framing artist who designs purpose tailor-made or bespoke frames to exactly suit a picture’s unique individual character. Such a framer demands high prices but to see each painting complete in its own unique way is a great joy. This approach to framing was at one time the only way pictures were framed. It was the norm. The framing costs then must have been high

Only museums and auction houses will now meet the expenses expected by the framing artist.

Please do not frame your own pictures. Even if you are a handy with tools it is better for you just to paint.

My very best wishes.

John Blenkin is a retired architect and is now a watercolor painter and article writer. His interests are wide covering both technical and philosophical subjects. He also writes online articles on the technique of watercolor painting.

http://www.freefolios.com/
foka@spidernet.com.cy

Today there are many options for putting colorful patterns onto porcelain china. Some, like decoupage, waterslide decals and air-dry paints like Delta Air-Dry PermEnamel are within the reach of any home crafter.

Others, like dye sublimation printing, transfer printing and hand-glazing high-fired pottery require substantial investment in equipment and are best suited to well-capitalized businesses and artists’ cooperatives.

The two classic ways of putting patterns onto porcelain, hand-painting and transfer printing, still exist today. In addition, there is a high-tech version of waterslide decals used commercially which consists of screen-printing decals with glazes and applying the decals to the porcelain. In each case, the pottery is high-fired before decorating to at least cone 6. [Cone is a measure of heat absorption resulting from heat applied over time. Cone 6 translates to between 2165 and 2269 degrees F (depending on how fast the kiln heats – or ramps – up).] Such high-firing produces the hard almost-translucent quality of genuine porcelain. Then the piece is decorated and lightly fired repeatedly to melt and fuse the glazes to the porcelain.

Incidentally, the term “porcelain” has been applied more and more broadly as new techniques developed. Ask any potter to define “porcelain” and he will likely give you the classic definition. To a potter, genuine porcelain is high-fired (cone 6 or higher) white clay that is at least somewhat translucent. It has a large proportion of kaolin clay, with the remainder being primarily feldspar and silica. This clay composition accounts for the pure white gleam of porcelain.

Artisans who paint porcelain (rather than actually make it) refer to three grades of porcelain: hard-paste, soft-paste, and bone china. They all contain kaolin but only hard-paste has feldspar and silica and is high-fired. The high temperatures cause the body and the glaze to fuse. When hard-paste porcelain is broken, it is impossible to distinguish the body from the glaze.

Soft-paste porcelain adds ground glass or frit (material for glass that is not yet fused and vitrified) and is fired to between cone 01 and 1 (1999 to 2109 degrees F). Because soft-paste porcelain is fired at lower temperatures, it does not completely vitrify and remains slightly porous. When soft-paste porcelain is broken, you can distinguish a grainy body covered with a glassy layer of glaze.

Bone china has bone ash added to the kaolin and vitrifies (becomes glass-like) somewhere between cone 2 and cone 5 (2034 to 2205 F). Though not as hard as true porcelain, bone china is more durable than soft-paste porcelain. The bone ash greatly increases the translucence of the porcelain.

Finally, go to a tile store and look at their “porcelain” tiles. If you turn them over, you will see base clay ranging from white to brown to gray.

The definition of “porcelain” in the tile industry has nothing to do with the clay content or level of firing. Rather, tile manufacturers define as “porcelain” any tile fired to the point where it absorbs less than 3% moisture.

For more information about decoupage, waterslide decals or dye sublimation or other crafts, visit http://www.theartfulcrafter.com/craft-ideas.html

Eileen Bergen was a teacher and later a vice president for a major financial institution. After being downsized, she has been running a successful craft business as well as The Artful Crafter website – http://www.theartfulcrafter.com

Before I discovered the world of scrapbooking, I was inexplicably drawn to my local office supply store. I loved to stand in an aisle surrounded by the different colors of copy paper. And the pens!

At the time, I thought this was really strange. (So did my family). And then I discovered that there are a lot of people who share this fascination. I realized that there is an entire industry that caters to my obsession with patterned paper and coordinating embellishments.

Then I discovered that these people also form clubs where they get together, share ideas, and eat chocolate. What could be better?

Scrapbooking clubs are the quilting bees of the modern era. When you join – or form – a scrapbook group, you create a regular time to meet with creative, loving, and family-centered friends.

Carving out a regular time to meet is an ideal way to create and maintain these meaningful friendships. Plus, as everyone gets together to work with family photographs and poignant memories, conversations tend to be deep and meaningful, too.

You can start your own scrapbooking club by asking yourself these questions:

–> How often do you want to meet?
How frequently do you want to hold group meetings (or crops)? Weekly, twice-monthly, monthly?

It’s best to get a consensus from group members as to which day works best, as well as which time of day. Will you need child care – and how many people will be pitching in for the sitter? How many people do you want in your scrapbook club?

The group dynamic varies greatly if you have 12 people, versus 30 or more. Decide in advance how many people you think will comprise an ideal group. Do you want an intimate gathering of friends – or the energy of a larger collaboration?

–> Where do you want to host the crop?
You can start out at your home, if you have the space. Or you can ask if the scrapbookers in your club would like to rotate houses.

For larger groups, consider churches, community centers, or conference rooms. Often churches and businesses will be very receptive to providing space for this type of gathering. Scrapbooking is a fun, family-oriented activity, which places of worship and community centers generally
love to embrace.

–> Do you want to charge membership dues?
If you have to pay for your scrapbooking space, you’ll probably want to recoup those costs. If you are going to provide instruction (or food or a babysitter) - simply charge reasonable dues from each member to cover your costs. Many scrapbookers are accustomed to paying for this
type of scrap space.

–> What will you serve?
You can serve food - or not. I like to keep things really simple. I have a simple basket of cold Evian bottles - which I stock up on when there’s a sale.

The best foods to serve don’t leave anything behind, so stay away from anything that would make it necessary for guests to wash their hands with each bite. If you’re going to serve finger food, use toothpicks. And – for the chocolate fix - M&Ms are wonderful because they really do
melt in your mouth and not in your hand.

–> How structured would you like your meetings to be?
Some scrapbooking clubs will invite Instructors to teach a variety of more advanced techniques. Check with your local scrapbooking store and direct sales consultants to see which classes might be available.

Tip: You – or one of your club members – might want to consider becoming a consultant yourself in order to supply the group with product and training in the latest techniques (direct sales consulants often receive this training from their teams and from the company themselves,
ie. http://www.momscape.com/scrapbooking/business.htm ) Then you can earn a profit and the club can earn and share the free hostess rewards. Free scrapbooking goodies for all! Or you can schedule your crop around a monthly scrapbooking club kit, ie.: http://www.momscape.com/scrapbooking/scrapbook-club It’s fun to see the different projects that each club member comes up with, using the same supplies. Plus, some monthly club kits(like the one cited above) come with idea sheets and an artist/designer gallery of club creations.

–> What is the best way to set up the meeting space?
Make sure the lighting is adequate and that each guest has enough table space. You can set everyone up on your dining room table, or – if you have the space, create a more elaborate configuration. One idea I found on the Two Peas in a Bucket (http://www.twopeasinabucket.com) message board is to create a square from 2 8-foot tables and 2 6-foot tables. This configuration will comfortably accommodate 8 scrapbookers.

It’s fun to have some community tools on one table, too. I have the basics: trimmers, Coluzzle, Silent Eyelet Setter, a mini sewing machine, etc.

I also like to bring a selection of my favorite idea books and scrapbooking magazines, especially those that feature seasonal project ideas.

And place a small gift bag or paper lunch sack in the center of each table for little scraps. This goes a long way in helping to keep each workspace organized and clutter-free. You can also set a relaxing (or energizing) mood with your choice of soft background music.

–> How will you find club members?
If you don’t already have a group of scrapbooking friends (or you want to find more), simply announce your group in the community.

Word of mouth is the best way to do this. Ask your scrapbooking friends to bring their scrapbooking friends to the club meetings.

You can also post flyers and announcements on community bulletin boards in libraries, grocery stores, community centers, etc.

Check to see if your local newspaper will run a free ad in the Community Notes section before each scheduled crop. For example: “Free Scrapbooking Crop. All levels of experience welcome. Instructor/designer on hand to answer questions and provide instruction. Come have fun and meet new friends. Time and location. Your contact info.”

You can also send email invites to all your friends. Evite.com (http://www.evite.com) is a great tool for keeping track of invitees. Simply pitch your crop night as a “girls’ night out” (or “mom’s night out”) where you’ll get important things done (and it never hurts to let
them know you’ll have chocolate on hand.)

Have a great time meeting new scrapbooking friends and inspiring one another to complete cards, layouts, and gifts-from-the-heart in your new scrapbooking club.

About the author:
Susie Cortright is the founder of Momscape’s Scrapbooking Playground. Subscribe to her free twice-monthly scrapbooking newsletter, featuring best-of-the-net design ideas, advanced techniques, and money-saving specials on supplies – here: http://www.momscape.com/scrapbooking

There are so many fun types of stickers. When buying stickers, the best policy is just to look around and find the stickers that appeal to you. Once you have a collection of stickers that match your style, you will find lots of opportunities to use them in your scrapbooks, cards, and other projects.

3D Stickers are any stickers that are not flat. There are tons of different styles. Here are a few.

Handmade Stickers are 3D stickers that have been pieced together. Sometimes they are made with fabric and have beads or ribbons attached.

Quilted Stickers have a hand-sewn look to them.

Vellum Stickers are translucent, meaning light can pass through, but they are not competely see through.

Rubber Stickers, true to their name, are made of rubber.

Epoxy Stickers have a lot of depth because they have a clear, raised layer over them. They are great for accenting.

Crystal Stickers are similar to epoxy stickers. They also have a clear, raised cover over them.

Wooden Stickers are made of thin wood. They can be painted or colored with markers before using them on your projects.

When using stickers make sure they add to use page without overwhelming and taking the focus away from your pictures. If you feel like your stickers might be a little overwhelming but still want to use them, try enlarging your pictures so they stand out more.

Here are some great ways to use stickers.

1. Use word stickers to your journaling.

2. Choose stickers that match the theme of you page to use in your title. For example, use a soccer ball for an “O” in the title of your soccer page.

3. Use letter stickers as letters in your title.

4. Add stickers to embellish the title of your page.

5. Use small stickers as bullet points.

6. Use stickers to embellish any page.

7. Create your page with a sticker layout. Use only paper and stickers for a fun look.

Lisa Robbins is a businesswoman and an enthusiast for sports, family, and crafts. She is the creator and maintainer of ScrapsAndCrafts.com, a scrapbooking tutorial and wholesale scrapbooking supply website. She is also a contributor to ScrapbookFinds.com, a search tool for scrapbooking products.

In addition to these roles, Lisa is also one of the owners of RobbinsSports.com, a team sports and fitness products store.

There are many ways for you to make money from your graphic software ranging from posters to promotional material. It may seem hard and expensive, but it is not. Mentioned below is but a few options to consider if you want to make some extra cash or even make a career out of this.

Artworks & Posters

Many people are buying posters and even works of art for bedrooms, homes, offices, classrooms etc. You could do the same, all you need to do is design some.

Design Landscapes/Worlds

You can be generous and design new worlds for people to use for there own artwork. This may not sound like a money making idea, but there is financial rewards as you can set the price for your design/creation.

3D Modals/Objects and Materials

If you have an eye for detail and design, then what about creating 3D modals and Materials. This can range from computers, boats, phones, vehicles, castles, planes, and the list goes on. As for materials it can be anything like metals, plastics, glass, paper, woods, rock, stones, etc.

Promotional Material

What about placing your cool designs on promotional materials like coffee mugs, clocks, etc.

Freelance your skills

So you are confident in your creativity and design skills, then what about selling your skills. This can range from designing company logos, computer icons, animations, etc.

Render Farm

If all the above is not for you, but still enjoy computers and graphic software - then what about starting up a render farm? Here you can sell computer time to people and companies that need scenes rendered.

More info

A list of graphic software as well as websites to visit is available at: http://www.slx.za.net/gfx.html

N.G van der Westhuizen is a software developer currently working on an open source Lotto database application. http://www.slx.za.net

The son of a good friend of mine was to get married in the Fall. He and his fiancé, Cindy, hired me to photograph their wedding. Having heard that I wrote a poem on a dedication plaque for the local library, they asked me to write something for her father who was recovering from a stroke. No commercial card seemed to express her love for her dad and they thought a more personal message to be more fitting. The bride-to-be told me how wonderful her dad was through the years and how he was determined to walk her down the aisle, no matter how slowly he walked. Here’s what I wrote.

Dad, dear Dad,

Whenever life wasn’t fair

You were never not there.

I remember my party

When nobody came

You said, “They just forgot”

And took all my pain.

When my little dog died

You stood by my side.

And when I needed a car

It was your cookie jar.

When I finished with school

You cried like a fool

And if it’s heaven I share,

I know you’ll be there.

Your Cindy

Another time I needed a poem for a bride and groom to give to their parents on the wedding day. I printed it on parchment, rolled into a scroll and tied with a rose and a golden ribbon.

Dear Mom and Dad,

If love could flow

Like ink from a pen,

If words could show

How I feel now and then,

I am what I am with you inside;

You gave me so much

In which I take pride.

I know there were times

When I made you sad

But you both understood

And gave all you had.

If I could live over

My whole life through,

I’d still want to be me

And you to be you.

Your daughter

Emotion is everything.

Have you ever read a comic book before? I imagine just
about everyone, at some time in their life, has read at
least one comic book. But do your interests and enjoyment
level go beyond that? You may have said to yourself, at
sometime or another, I would like to start comic book
collecting some day. Heck, you may even have several comic
books lying around that you have just never organized.

What do I do to start comic book collecting and what all do
I need? Well, as I am sure you realize, you need to start
with a passion. You have a comic book collecting passion,
you say, but you don’t want to be labeled a “comic book
collecting geek” and remain alone in your enjoyment. Well,
my suggestion to you is “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” and
believe me, you are not alone. You would be amazed at the
multitudes of individuals who have a passion for comic book
collecting. And there are a plethora of related sites on
the Web.

I couldn’t get enough of these colorful action-packed
little devils when I was young. But like any supposedly
responsible individual, I lay my comic book collecting
passion aside when I got older and went to college and got
a good job. Well in the last several months, I have
rekindled that childhood passion and have spent a good
share of my time researching and creating my own comic book
collecting website. And what a rush it has been
reintroducing myself to myself. I am finding quite an avid
interest in all the new comic book hero movies Hollywood is
cranking out. I have even started my own comic book hero
DVD collection. And this is big business, so I know there
are throngs of people out there with my same comic book
collecting interests and I hope to connect with many of
them through my comic book collecting website.

I ran into a major thrill the other day glancing through
the want ads of my local newspaper. Lo and behold, someone
was selling a comic book collection. A quick call and a
meeting in the shopping mall parking lot and I was the
proud owner of 189 comic books kept in beautiful condition.
And get this; it cost me $50.00 for the whole comic book
collection. I have as yet to determine the actual worth of
the collection, but it has got to be substantially more
than what I paid for it. As time goes on, I will be
organizing all of these comic book collecting items in a
spreadsheet and using my trusty copy of the Overstreet
Comic Book Collecting Price Guide to determine my new comic
book collection’s total worth. As I do that, I will be
reporting results on my website.

Through all my research over the last many months, I have
even created an ebook product on how to start comic book
collecting, which is filled with Internet resources. I want
to have an inexpensive resource available to help others,
with the same passion I have, to get started. If you care
to see what the book is about, you can check it out at

http://www.comic-book-collection-made-easy.com/comic-book-collection.html

and let me know what you think.

When you start your comic book collecting, you will need to
start thinking about sources to purchase your comic books
from. You will want to start learning about comic book
supplies to help preserve and organize your magazines. You
will want to learn how the rest of the industry goes about
grading physical condition and what your individual comics
are worth. Personally though, I believe some of the
greatest worth in a comic book is what it means to you and
the enjoyment you receive from owning these little pieces
of art. You may even what to find where all the great comic
book conventions are and if there are any close to you. All
of this information is available on the Net and I am hoping
to build a central hub to all this other great info.

Want to start comic book collecting? Come on over and visit
me. Kick your shoes off and stay for a while. I don’t think
you will be disappointed. You may even want to bookmark my
site. Have something of value you want me to add or a
question that needs an answer? I am all ears. So start
scanning the want ads and I will see you at my site. Flame
on! Or was that “Up, Up and Away”?

Dave Gieber owns and edits a website built
around one of his childhood passions. Learn the basic
essentials to comic book collecting success at:
The Comic Book Collecting eBook

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).

It is really a sad matter that hardly any information is available in Internet about this great literature. There must be a broad initiative to change this scenario. The blog http://write-translate.blogspot.com is an effort to bridge this gap.