The passing of Lakshmi Holmström, one of the most reputed translators and refined minds, has left many of us academics sad and lost. It is fitting that The Hindu should think of a write-up on her (“Translator Lakshmi Holmström dead”, May 9). However, it may be worth remembering that she brought about a veritable cultural revolution in reading circles by her steady and unrelenting translation projects on every conceivable modern Tamil writer, male and female. Last year, when I was working on her translations of Puthumaipithan and Mouni , I marvelled at her commitment to both the English and Tamil languages and her sensitivity to cultural nuances. It is no exaggeration to say that Lakshmi Holmström, along with Mini Krishnan of Oxford University Press, brought the margin to the centre and made people look at even writers who were at the centre for long, but ignored by the English reading public. I am sure Lakshmi Holmström has firmly established translation from Tamil and Translation studies as a serious cultural engagement and her legacy will continue.
C.T. Indra,
Chennai
