Best Stories of Modern Bengal
Best Stories of Modern Bengal
ed. D.K. Gupta; tr. Nilima Devi · 1944
One of Signet's first two books
Signet Press was founded in Kolkata in 1943 by Dilip Kumar Gupta, known as D.K., an advertising man, with his mother-in-law Nilima Guha Thakurta. It was formally opened at her house on Elgin Road on 30 October 1943. The young Satyajit Ray, whom D.K. had brought into the D.J. Keymer agency, designed many of its covers, beginning with Abanindranath Tagore's Kshirer Putul.
Between 1944 and 1975 Signet published 131 books, eight of which won all-India awards for printing and binding. They included Nehru's The Discovery of India, Aam Antir Bhepu (the children's Pather Panchali, illustrated by Ray) and the poetry of Jibanananda Das, Bishnu Dey and Sudhindranath Datta. Its shops on College Street and Rasbehari Avenue made modern poetry easy to find.
Signet closed after D.K.'s death in 1977. Ananda Publishers acquired it in 2011 and has brought its books back into print.
Ask the desk for a book from here.
