When The Guardian asked its readers six years ago to suggest their favourite books and authors from or about India, at least three Malayalam writers found pride of place in it. That translations of works of Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai, Vaikom Mohammed Basheer, and O.V. Vijayan are read even abroad is nothing surprising.
The Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University is now making efforts to project more writers from Kerala on to the global stage by collaborating with English-language publishers to bring out translations of their noted works.
“Malayalam as a language is not getting its due. The translation project is our attempt to introduce the best of our literary works to readers across the world,” K. Jayakumar, vice chancellor, said.
The university has set up an advisory committee consisting of eminent writers and academics such as K. Satchidanandan, E.V. Ramakrishnan, Jancy James, J. Devika, M.M. Basheer, T.M. Yesudasan, and K.M. Sherrif to short-list the titles. Mini Krishnan, editor, translations, Oxford University Press (OUP), has been roped in as consultant.
First title
The first title thus published was Rajalakshmy’s A Path and Many Shadows and Twelve Stories (Orient Blackswan) last year.
A Path and Many Shadows , the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award-winning novel by the writer who ended her life in 1965 at the age of 35, depicts the story of a girl growing up in southern India in the 1950s and how she blossoms as an individual in a patriarchal society, says a note by the publisher.
The translation is by R.K. Jayasree.
Barsa, the story of a non-resident Indian living in Makkah, by Khadeeja Mumtas; and Swarga , translation of Ambikasuthan Mangad’s evocative novel Enmakaje on the endosulfan-affected villages in Kasaragod, will be released at a function in Kozhikode on Thursday. Mr. Sherrif and Ms. Devika respectively have done the translations.
Ms. Krishnan says the titles to be published this year are Ms. Devika’s translation of a collection of short stories by Lalithambika Antharjanam and Njarukal, a collection of 23 short stories by Dalit writers, edited by M.R. Renukumar. OUP and Navayana respectively are the publishers.
Some of the other works in the pipeline are Rosy Thomas’ C.J., My Beloved ; collections of short stories by T. Padmanabhan and S.K. Pottekkattu; and theatre veteran C.N. Sreekantan Nair’s trilogy of plays on the Ramayana, adds Ms. Krishnan.
