Interviewed by Akhlaqur Rahman Sachee, Team MBR

Guba Publishing is a dual-language children's book publisher that creates valuable stories and learning resources to inspire children to embrace a global mindset. Their books are printed in English, Bangla, or bilingual, and the titles promote imagination, world knowledge, social and emotional awareness, and respect for the planet. Guba Publishing also strives to be a platform for advocating social causes through storytelling for children. Team MBR was in conversation with Ms. Raya Rahman, Co-Founder and Publisher, Guba Publishing, to learn about her vision and inspiration behind Guba Publishing.

Akhlaqur Rahman Sachee: From a very different academic background and career path, you chose to initiate the journey of Guba Publishing back in 2017, which is a publisher of books in Bengali and English for children up to eight years old. What were your motivations to come up with such a unique idea?

Raya Rahman: As a person of Bangladeshi origin raising children in North America, I found myself among the vast numbers of expat or immigrant parents whose kids started losing their native language. At the same time, I witnessed firsthand how great-quality content, both print and digital, enabled young children to rapidly acquire languages. This observation and the urge to connect my kids to their roots were the driving forces behind the creation of a bilingual publishing company I co-founded with a childhood friend, Inshra Sakhawat Russell (a talented content creator herself).

This was my first ever entrepreneurial venture, having previously worked in various business support roles in different organisations. It was not an easy journey and could only be possible with my family’s support and my commitment to Guba’s mission.

Akhlaqur Rahman Sachee: Guba Publishing currently has operations in the United States and Bangladesh. How is the response of the kids of non-resident Bangladeshis to the books published by Guba Publishing? Has Guba Publishing made any attempt to promote Bangladeshi traditions and cultures to them through the books?

Raya Rahman: Non-resident Bangladeshi parents are hugely appreciative of our books, flashcards, and posters. We have seen that our bilingual titles are more popular with younger children (under six) because the books, at that age level, are very simple and easy. For older non-resident children, the English versions of our story books are more popular because of language barriers with Bangla.

Guba Publishing just released a wonderful book called "Where are the Chonchols?" which is a search-and-find activity book about a restless Bangladeshi joint family who gets lost in the different festivals of Bangladesh. The book is packed with fun illustrations and interesting cultural information and presents our traditions in a beautiful, child-friendly format. We plan to publish more books of this nature in the future.

Akhlaqur Rahman Sachee: Guba Publishing has recently organised an event under the banner of ‘Stories in Park!’ in the month of December 2022 in Dhaka, where it unveiled six new books. Would you kindly share with us how successful the event was? And how was the feedback from the attendees?

Raya Rahman: The ‘Stories in the Park’ event was organised by Guba Publishing in partnership with Let’s Read—The Asia Foundation. It was a vibrant and joyous event that featured a wide range of day-long activities centred around young children, including music by Rushnaf Wadud, crafting by Kids Time, play with clay by Claystation, cartoon art by Tanmoy Cartoons, and VR and robotics games by The Tech Academy. The event ended with the screening of a children’s film called 'Kathal' by Amit Ashraf.

We had relied on strong word-of-mouth marketing among schools and institutions that serve children, and ultimately that strategy proved to be very successful. The turnout was better than I had anticipated. We had expected around three hundred people, but around eight hundred to a thousand people attended throughout the day-long event. We did not receive formal feedback, but it was evident that attendees of all ages—children, parents, grandparents, and young members of the artistic and book-loving community in Dhaka—thoroughly enjoyed the day!

Akhlaqur Rahman Sachee: The books published by Guba Publishing are now available on your website and at selected retail stores that serve a niche community. Do you have any plans to make the books accessible to a wider range of child readers?

Raya Rahman: Yes, the books are available on our website, at selected retail locations in Bangladesh, and on Amazon for Western markets (The USA, Canada, Australia, The UK, and EU countries). We do not have any specific plans to grow outside of this. For now, I would like to focus on publishing more incredible titles to expand our portfolio of books.

Akhlaqur Rahman Sachee: You are in charge of storytelling in an after-school club named The Growing Up Club. Would you kindly share with us how learning the art of storytelling may help the children develop creative and communication skills?

Raya Rahman: The art of storytelling refers to the ability to gather our thoughts and organise them into a beginning, middle, and end; to understand our audience; and to present our communication in a way that keeps the audience engaged and attentive to our message. These are critical thinking skills that children can apply in different aspects of their lives. Being an effective storyteller is a vital skill to possess for both children and adults.

Akhlaqur Rahman Sachee: Your publishing venture publishes books for children, and you love to teach storytelling to the children. What is the best part of working with children, from your perspective? What are the challenges you commonly face?

Raya Rahman: Children under the age of ten are innocent, curious, and can absorb information like sponges. They are also extremely creative and spontaneous with their creations, without overthinking anything the way adults do. I absolutely love working with children in this age group!

On the other hand, Some children learn at a different pace than others, so it’s sometimes a challenge to maintain a standard teaching curriculum.

Akhlaqur Rahman Sachee: Do you have any plans for the expansion of your business in terms of product variety or geographical coverage? If positive, what expansion efforts will Guba Publishing experience in the near future?

Raya Rahman: I do not have any expansion plans for the time being.

Akhlaqur Rahman Sachee: There are lots of female entrepreneurs and working women whose professional activities revolve around children. What suggestions do you have for them from your experience to become successful in their positions?

Raya Rahman: Get professional or expert help in the beginning if you can afford it. I learned by making costly mistakes, and sometimes that would demoralise me. Figure out a way to prioritise the right things and weed out anything that’s a distraction. Your customers are your most important assets, so definitely prioritise them! Think of the long-term value of your brand, even if it means foregoing short-term financial gains. And most importantly, do not forget to have some fun along the way.