The Home and The World

Set against the nationalist background of Swadeshi movement in Bengal in the early 20th century, Tagore's Ghore Baire (1916) dwells on the twin themes of nationalism and women's emancipation, especially of middle class traditional Bengali household. The English translation, 'At Home and Outside' (1918), was done by the poet's nephew Surendranath Tagore, which was revised by the poet himself, and it later came to be known as The Home and the World since Macmillan brought it out in the book-form in 1919. The book garnered censure from his contemporaries regarding Tagore's failure to participate in the nationalist enthusiasm and his portrayal of love outside marriage. But the adulation that Tagore had received for this English version far outnumbered the censure from critics abroad. This critical edition to Tagore's The Home and the World has new information to give of the relation between the English text and currently available Bengali text. There are long footnotes to provide the readers, who have no access to the Bengali Language, with certain perspectives in which one may see the text; always taking care that a young reader is not pushed towards a single possible reading.The compilation of essays by eminent Tagore scholars like Supriya Chaudhury, Tanika Sarkar and Shirshendu Chakravarti, offer a plurality of critical perspectives. Most importantly, this volume includes English translation of Tagore's writings on the relevant subjects and his responses to his critics.In the 150th Year of Tagore's birth we hope thus to have contributed a little to the worldwide celebrations.