Soumya Bhattacharya is a novelist, journalist and literary critic
March 28, 2023
India was the theme of the London Book Fair in April 2009. I was among a contingent of Indian writers who attended the fair as representatives of our country and its literature. There were those, such as myself, who write in English. Also present were those who write in the so-called vernacular, Indian languages.
Among writers who produced literature in Bengali was one whose arguably most famous novel had recently been translated into English. He was the one who drew the most attention among the Bengali writers and whose novel was the most discussed. His other, more celebrated – celebrated among readers who read Bengali, that is – fellow writers, who had not been translated, looked on with a mixture of bafflement and a twinge of envy. In those days, it was not particularly common for books written in India’s regional languages to be translated into English.
How far we have come in fourteen years.
Geetanjali Shree with the 2022 International Booker Prize award for her novel 'Tomb of Sand' in London, on May 26, 2022. AP
In 2022, Geetanjali Shree’s novel, Tomb of Sand, won the International Booker Prize. It was the first novel written in Hindi to win the prize. It was also the first translation from a South Asian language to win. The International Booker Prize is awarded every year for a single book that is translated into English and published in the UK or Ireland. The prize money of £50,000 ($63,000) is shared equally between the author and the translator.
By the standards of a novel in translation from a South Asian language, Tomb of Sand – an experimental, unconventional novel about an 80-year-old woman who lives in north India and travels to Pakistan to rediscover her roots and herself – was a big success in the UK. Now it has been published in the US. Rights for publication in other languages have also been sold.
Last week, the longlist for the 2023 International Booker Prize was announced. This time around, the Tamil writer Perumal Murugan has made the longlist with his novel, Pyre, a searing account of caste conflict and violence. The novel was originally published in 2017.
Author Perumal Murugan whose book is in the longlist for the 2023 International Booker Prize
A boom in translation in India is shining a light on literature written in regional Indian languages. India has 22 official languages. Nearly all of them have a wealth of literature, and rich literary traditions. For decades, Indian writing was synonymous with Indian writing in English to the Anglophone world. And, indeed, to the majority of readers in India. Without a translation, non-Hindi readers would never have discovered Tomb of Sand. Unless it had been translated into English, non-Tamil readers would not have been able to enjoy Pyre.
Every major Indian publisher now has a translations list in their annual catalogues. No wonder. The New York Times reported last month that the English translation of Tomb of Sand sold 50,000 copies in India; the original Hindi version sold 30,000. At one level, this is not all that surprising. A vast number of India’s literary fiction reading public do not read in Hindi. But it is more proof, if any were needed, of the reach an English translation offers a writer working in a regional language.
In 1998, Salman Rushdie and Elizabeth West edited and published The Vintage Book of Indian Writing (1947-1997). In the Introduction, Rushdie wrote: “…The prose – both fiction and non-fiction created in this period by Indian writers working in English – is proving to be a stronger and more important body of work than most of what has been produced in the … 'official' languages of India, the so-called vernacular languages, during the same time. And, indeed, this new, and still burgeoning 'Indo-Anglian' literature represents perhaps the most valuable contribution India has yet made to the world of books … The task we set ourselves was to make the best possible selection from what is presently available in the English language, including, obviously, work in translation. To our considerable astonishment, only one translated text – SH Manto’s masterpiece, the short story Toba Tek Singh – made the final cut.”
Rushdie’s assertion – daring, perhaps deliberately provocative – was hotly contested at the time by many readers and writers. Were it to be made today, it would simply be blown out of the water.
That is as it should be. The JCB Prize is India’s most generous book award worth 2.5 million rupees ($302,666). It is open to books written in English as well as translated from regional languages. In 2022, each and every novel that made the shortlist were translations of novels written in vernacular languages. These novels made it out of a longlist that also had novels that were originally written in English.
For years, writers in so-called vernacular languages toiled away in relative obscurity, and had a restricted audience, comprising only readers of the regional language in which the book had been written. Now, translation into English – a language with a global hegemony and cultural and political currency – has given them wings. The booming translation industry is offering them their moment in the sun and wider reach and readership in India and the rest of the Anglophone world.
This shift in the literary landscape in India is a benediction for readers to whom the riches of literature in regional Indian languages was a closed universe. Now, with the benefit of English translations, readers of English – in India and the rest of the world – can discover and delight in diverse, new worlds.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ministry of Interior Ministry of Defence General Intelligence Directorate Air Force Intelligence Agency Political Security Directorate Syrian National Security Bureau Military Intelligence Directorate Army Supply Bureau General Organisation of Radio and TV Al Watan newspaper Cham Press TV Sama TV
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities. Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids. Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
MATCH INFO
Northern Warriors 92-1 (10 ovs)
Russell 37 no, Billings 35 no
Team Abu Dhabi 93-4 (8.3 ovs)
Wright 48, Moeen 30, Green 2-22
Team Abu Dhabi win by six wickets
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
UAE Premiership
Results
Dubai Exiles 24-28 Jebel Ali Dragons
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 43-27 Dubai Hurricanes
Fixture
Friday, March 29, Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Jebel Ali Dragons, The Sevens, Dubai
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
Priority access to new homes from participating developers
Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
Flexible payment plans from developers
Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
