Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada   

Titles in mother tongue make reading a passion

VIJAYAWADA: More books are being translated into Telugu from English, Hindi and other languages than before, mainly because of an increased number of book readers among the Telugu-speaking population. It is also because of the availability of other literatures in their mother tongue that local people have taken to reading with some kind of a passion.

The activity has picked up so much that 20 per cent of the total publishing in Telugu now consists of translations. Publishers, too, are encouraging the trend. Recently, Manjula Publications, a Bhopal-based reputable publishing house, has come out with a translation.

Earlier, only classics and complicated works of repute found patronage as far as translation into Telugu was concerned.

But the scenario has changed over the years so much so that works of contemporary writers are being translated without losing much time. It is no wonder that almost all of the former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s works are now available in Telugu.

Though English education is widely prevalent, a large number of people are still comfortable reading a famous and internationally renowned author only in their native language.

“It is basically because people find reading easy in mother tongue. People want easy understanding rather than straining themselves with a foreign language,” says D. Ashok Kumar, book seller and publisher of various translations in the name of ‘Alakananda Prachuranalu’.

The scenario in translations is becoming brighter that even amateur translators can find themselves busy, provided they show some spark. It is no longer a specialised field open only for professional translators.

The Telugu version of senior BJP leader L.K. Advani’s autobiography “My Country – My Life” was recently translated into Telugu under the title “Naa Desam Naa Jeevitham”, without much loss of time.

The boom in translations is also being witnessed in other regional languages like Kannada. Mr. Advani’s work has been translated into this language as well.

Mr. Kalam’s autobiography “Wings of Fire”, aimed at inspiring the young people of the country, is also available in Telugu. Penguin and other noted publishers have made contributions in respect of translations.

Incidentally, nearly 90 per cent of the publishing in Telugu takes place with Vijayawada as the centre of all activity.

It goes without saying that most of the translation works originate from the city with publishing houses here keen on expanding the opportunities for the Telugu readership.

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