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.
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.
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.”
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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.
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
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Day 3, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Lahiru Gamage, the Sri Lanka pace bowler, has had to play a lot of cricket to earn a shot at the top level. The 29-year-old debutant first played a first-class game 11 years ago. His first Test wicket was one to savour, bowling Pakistan opener Shan Masood through the gate. It set the rot in motion for Pakistan’s batting.
Stat of the day – 73 Haris Sohail took 73 balls to hit a boundary. Which is a peculiar quirk, given the aggressive intent he showed from the off. Pakistan’s batsmen were implored to attack Rangana Herath after their implosion against his left-arm spin in Abu Dhabi. Haris did his best to oblige, smacking the second ball he faced for a huge straight six.
The verdict One year ago, when Pakistan played their first day-night Test at this ground, they held a 222-run lead over West Indies on first innings. The away side still pushed their hosts relatively close on the final night. With the opposite almost exactly the case this time around, Pakistan still have to hope they can salvage a win from somewhere.
EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
THE DETAILS
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Director: Ron Howard
2/5
Brief scoreline:
Burnley 3
Barnes 63', 70', Berg Gudmundsson 75'
Southampton 3
Man of the match
Ashley Barnes (Burnley)
Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Sebastian Stefan, Sebastian Morar and Claudia Pacurar
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2014
Number of employees: 36
Sector: Logistics
Raised: $2.5 million
Investors: DP World, Prime Venture Partners and family offices in Saudi Arabia and the UAE
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
McLaren GT specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 620bhp
Torque: 630Nm
Price: Dh875,000
On sale: now
Profile
Co-founders of the company: Vilhelm Hedberg and Ravi Bhusari
Launch year: In 2016 ekar launched and signed an agreement with Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi. In January 2017 ekar launched in Dubai in a partnership with the RTA.
Number of employees: Over 50
Financing stage: Series B currently being finalised
Investors: Series A - Audacia Capital
Sector of operation: Transport
If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
(All games 4-3pm kick UAE time) Bayern Munich v Augsburg, Borussia Dortmund v Bayer Leverkusen, Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin, Wolfsburg v Mainz , Eintracht Frankfurt v Freiburg, Union Berlin v RB Leipzig, Cologne v Schalke , Werder Bremen v Borussia Monchengladbach, Stuttgart v Arminia Bielefeld
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