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The Hindu
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Beyond Heart Lamp's success: Are translators getting the credit that's due?
'Against Italics' - Deepa Bhasthi's translator's note for Heart Lamp, which won the International Booker Prize 2025, made headlines. The translator's note section, which is usually skipped, drew attention this time. 'Setting aside the futile debate of what is lost and found in translation', Ms. Bhasthi talks about her deliberate choice to not use italics for the Kannada, Urdu, and Arabic words that remain untranslated in English. Ms. Bhasthi ends the translator's note saying, 'Italics serve to not only distract visually, but more importantly, they announce words as imported from another language, exoticising them and keeping them alien to English. By not italicising them, I hope the reader can come to these words without interference, and in the process of reading with the flow, perhaps even learn a new word or two in another language. Same goes for footnotes – there are none'. While talking to The Hindu, Ms. Bhasthi says this translator's note has been met with a lot of love and care, and attention by readers as well. One of the reasons why words are italicised in translated texts is that there may be no exact equivalent in the target language of translation ~ seen as untranslatability. Until some years ago, this idea of untranslatability was the prominent discourse in translated literature, viewed negatively. Conversations about translated texts have, however, become more nuanced now, and translation is coming to be seen as a creative process as much as writing. As translators claim creative agency and push back against conventions like italicisation, the way a translator's role is perceived is evolving. From what's lost to what's found Ms. Bhasthi prefers the term writer-translator over just translator, which reduces the translator's job to one less than the writer. She says translation is as much a creative practice as writing, and autonomy in translation is important, as without it, her job would be no different than ChatGPT. 'That said, of course, if the author is living, it is always nice to be in conversation with them about their stories and, you know, get insights', she says. Moutushi Mukherjee, Commissioning Editor at Penguin Random House India, states that translators are now able to talk more about the tremendous impact a translation can have on expanding a literary heritage to wider audiences. She notes that there is a growing number of enthusiastic and resourceful translators in the country, which she sees as a very positive development. Ms. Mukherjee adds that the translators themselves are now more vocal about their role, putting themselves out there, so to speak, and emphasizing their contributions. According to Ms. Mukherjee, wins like Tomb of Sand (for Daisy Rockwell) and Heart Lamp (for Deepa Bhasthi) have also, obviously, changed the way readers perceive the translator. Translator visibility on book covers The book cover for Heart Lamp, published by Penguin, features an artwork at the top, followed by the book title and subtitle in red and sky blue-colored fonts, respectively. The next prominent feature is the author's name, Banu Mushtaq, spaced across the centre of the cover. It is then followed by Ms. Bhasthi's name in a smaller font, highlighting her 'Winner of the English PEN Translates Award 2024' achievement. A similar pattern of book covers is visible in the Perennial translation series by Harper Collins, and their back covers provide a brief introduction to both the author and the translator. This wasn't always the norm. Ms. Bhasthi says this visibility on the book cover is much better than until a few years ago, as translators' names would be somewhere inside the book and not on the cover. But now nearly all publishers put the translator's name on the cover. In a 2016 opinion piece for The Hindu, translator S. Krishnamurthy writes, 'Except on the title page and the cover, nowhere else will you see your name or any other details about you (translator). If your name is an ubiquitous sort, as is mine, nobody will even know you are the translator, unless you tell them'. Ms. Bhasthi says there still needs to be a lot of awareness about this, and it needs to start with the media. She states that there is an attitude that continues to persist in the media, especially, where somehow it is enough to just name the writer of the original work and not name the writer-translator who has brought the work into English or whatever other language. Ms. Bhasthi says we have certainly come a long way, but she thinks we still have a very long way to go before writer-translators are also seen on an equal footing with the writers in the original languages as well. Stepping aside from India, the research paper, 'Examining Intersemiotic translation of book covers as a medium of culture transfer,' was published in 2018. Among other aspects, it attempts to concentrate on the elements and criteria that are directly related to the visibility of translators. It takes into account five translations of Ernest Hemingway's, 'The Old Man and the Sea', in Iran, one of the most translated books in the country. The research paper finds that the title is designed with the biggest font, and then the name of the author in a quite smaller font, and lastly, the name of the translator is printed in the smallest font. 'It is also worth mentioning that in two works, the name of the translator is not even printed on the front cover, i.e., Manzoori and Parsay translations. In other words, the mentioned pattern prioritises the importance of each item: first the work, then the author, and last the translator. These covers also don't provide specific information in the book for introducing the translator or his/her other translated works to the interested readers', the paper says. In the Indian publishing industry the scene has changed. Urvashi Butalia, publisher, teacher and activist, says, 'There is greater acknowledgement and this is evident in all the things such as larger fonts, better placement, and also in including translators in media events. By contrast, I've not seen many reviews that mention names of translators, although again I could be wrong'. Ms. Mukherjee says credit is very important. She states that a simple act of giving credit to the translator on the cover of the book, and yes, equal weightage inside the book, has gone a long way, in her personal experience. Ms. Mukherjee also says we should expand that credit in a broader sense: include the translator in all marketing and publicity details, retail campaigns, and general discussion about the book. She emphasizes giving the translator the visibility they deserve across festivals and awards. According to Ms. Mukherjee, if we want to give visibility to translators, we must do so collaboratively, across all stakeholders. Promoting translated literature Translators are being acknowledged as co-creators in the literary process and not as secondary personas. There is a drive for better visibility of translators through book publicity campaigns, panel discussions, and other media. 'However, broader industry support and consistent credit across marketing, media, and events are still needed. I do think it's not enough for a few publishers and award ceremonies to promote translation literature. We need more publishing groups, more juries, and certainly, more of the mainstream media, supporting and recognising the significance of literature in translation', says Dharini Bhaskar, Associate Publisher, Literary at HarperCollins India. It helps to keep translation central to all conversations to do with books and literature. For instance, on World Book Day, Harper Collins had a full translation panel—which included Mini Krishnan, Sheela Tomy, Jayasree Kalathil, and Ministhy—and they spoke about the challenges faced by translators and the space translation literature occupies in the literary firmament. On how they bridge this gap, Ms. Bhaskar says, 'For one, we give literature in translation as much prominence as the poems and novels, and non-fiction originally published in English. Translation literature not only gets equal editorial care and attention but also has the full support of both the sales and marketing teams. We promote our works of translation—and not just when they're nominated for awards—and back translator and author equally. For they're a team. The book belongs to both of them'. Ms. Mukherjee says their publicity campaigns include the translator along with the author; this is without exception, and they will never have it any other way. She states that they make it clear at the outset to the author as well as the agent that the translator is going to be equally involved in the editing process, in planning publicity, and even on decisions pertaining to the cover of the book. Ms. Mukherjee says the translator has equal space (and equal say) on the journey of the book, both during and after its publication. Zubaan recently began a translation collaboration with Ashoka University called Women Translate Women. Every event for the books in this series has had translators present. Ms. Butalia says, 'This is also the case with many other publishers – in fact, several mainstream publishers now employ editors whose main task is to source translated manuscripts. This is a very positive development'. Are readers more willing to buy translated books? Publishers say winning the International Booker does drive sales of translated works. Though publishing houses have been increasingly taking steps to highlight the work of the translator alongside the author, the media lags in giving translators due credit. Readers, too, are increasingly open to buying translations, though Western approval still influences Indian buying habits. Ms. Bhasthi says there has been a lot of love that the translation of Heart Lamp has received, apart from the stories, and she is very grateful for that. She highlights the importance of the International Booker Prize giving equal emphasis to both the writer-translators and the writers from the original language. 'So, I think that attention is very important for translations and writer translators as well', she says. Talking about the media coverage Heart Lamp received, Ms. Bhaskar says there is immediate media coverage once a book is longlisted or shortlisted for a prestigious award, and such coverage doubles if the book wins. She adds that this kind of visibility has a direct impact on sales. 'This, in turn, has a direct impact on sales', she says. Ms. Bhaskar says they have seen sales numbers of books spiralling the moment they win prestigious awards. She notes that the ripples spread far, and that major wins typically benefit all literature coming out in a certain language. She emphasizes that such recognition also helps literature in translation overall, and sometimes even specific genres like poetry or short fiction. It also bodes well for literature in translation (as a whole), and sometimes, it bodes well for certain genres. Ms. Bhaskar points out that very often, in India, readers look for approval abroad before buying a book published locally. She stresses the need for Indian readers to start recognising the wealth of literature already available in the country—in English, in translation, and in regional languages—and to start supporting these books without necessarily waiting for validation from the West. Ms. Butalia says readers are more willing to buy translated works in general, perhaps this is because translated books are also more visible now, both in offline and in online bookshops. And they are better marketed, as books in their own right and not as poor cousins of an original. Ms. Bhasthi says that compared to other literary fiction, translated fiction is still not as widely read as it should be in a diverse country like India. She expresses hope that readers show more interest in translated fiction, and specifically mentions Kannada as one of the more under-translated languages in South India. Ms. Bhasthi says'I hope more translators bring forth some of the extraordinary works that we have in my language.'
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
New book by psychotherapist Riri, parenting expert Anagha, offers tailored guidance for Indian parents
NEW DELHI: Released on the occasion of Father's Day, a new book by acclaimed psychotherapist Riri G Trivedi and parenting expert Anagha Nagpal introduces a culturally sensitive take on parenting, equipping Indian parents with essential tools to address the challenges of raising children in today's complex world. "The Book Won't Teach You Parenting", published by Penguin Random House India (PRHI), aims to help parents understand the right parenting style that is balanced and universally applicable across generations and cultures. "The book will also clarify what parents often do incorrectly and what they can do to avoid unhealthy habits. This book also grapples with issues that are more relevant to children and parents nowadays, which didn't exist in previous generations, such as social media usage, self-harming behaviour and conversations about sexual orientation and safe sex," reads the introduction of the book. Packed with research-backed insights on parenting styles, personal anecdotes, practical checklists, and bilingual online resources, the book provides valuable insights and much-needed support for Indian parents across the globe to balance cultural nuances with modern challenges like screen time, teen relationships, and joint family dynamics. Divided into eight chapters, the book, replete with global research and real-life stories, also offers a framework for positive parenting in the Indian cultural context and presents timely, age-appropriate strategies to handle every stage of your child's life -- from toddlerhood to teenage. Whether it's healing from childhood trauma and breaking free from negative patterns through self-reflection exercises, learning self-regulation techniques to respond calmly to stress, setting a positive example for your children, or guiding them toward developing a healthy mindset and emotional resilience to navigate life's challenges -- the book claims to offer support every step of the way. "Every chapter ends with self-reflection questions for parents -- to help you understand your own childhood better and to reflect on your deep-rooted behaviours stemming from those experiences that may be affecting your parenting journey or your child's behaviour," it added. The book, priced at Rs 499, is currently available for purchase across online and offline stores.
The Hindu
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Hyderabad author Richa Sharma's book explores ideas of home and identity
A recurring theme in Richa Sharma's debut novel, Finding Home Again (published by Nu Voice Press and distributed by Penguin Random House India), is the search for belonging. Is home the place where one is born and raised? Or is it the space one builds in a new city through education, career, or marriage? Can one truly belong to more than one place, absorbing the best of multiple cultures? Set in the aftermath of a train derailment following floods in Assam, the novel traces characters searching for their loved ones — unfolding deeper ideas of home, identity, and displacement. Richa was raised in Arunachal Pradesh, though her parents hail from Uttar Pradesh. 'My father moved to Arunachal in 1970. As a state government schoolteacher, he helped establish schools in remote interiors,' she says, over coffee at a café in Hyderabad. She and her siblings eventually moved to different cities for higher education. Richa studied journalism, psychology, and literature in Bengaluru before pursuing a Master's in mass communication at the University of Hyderabad — where she met actor Priyadarshi Pulikonda, whom she later married. Her love for books, she says, stems from her parents. 'My mother was a voracious reader,' she recalls, picturing her lost in books at libraries in Agra. 'Her family read and wrote extensively. My father also encouraged me to read.' The storytelling Reflecting on the lasting influence of her mother, whom she lost recently, Richa says, 'Mum wrote poems and even compiled a book of recipes. She was a gifted storyteller, often regaling us with anecdotes about her parents and grandparents —progressive thinkers in the 1940s who defied norms. All of that shaped who I am today.' Both her parents were Hindi teachers, and their empathy left a deep impression on her. 'I remember mom making tea for our house help, noticing when she was upset. Dad, on the other hand, would calmly wait for a snake to slither away rather than harm it. That sensitivity stayed with me.' Shades of these qualities appear in some of the characters in her book. The idea for Finding Home Again took root over a decade ago, inspired by the annual floods in the North East. 'I've witnessed firsthand how the monsoons affect lives in the region, but until recently, much of the country remained unaware of their severity. While studying in Bengaluru, I often had to explain that Arunachal lies beyond Assam.' Several portions of the novel pay homage to the North East — its food, its rhythm, its people — though set in fictional towns. The use of imagined news clippings about floods and a train derailment was a conscious choice, to avoid any direct parallels with real-life tragedies. Richa coined the town names — Maajorghat and Sigo Dolung — with care, wanting them to reflect a sense of place, yet remain unanchored to one specific location. 'Maajorghat refers to a large river bank, and Sigo Dolung to an underground water source in a village. I checked with friends, who in turn asked their elders, to ensure the names felt rooted and authentic.' However, the book does not currently contain a note clarifying that the towns are fictional. 'Maybe we'll include one in the next print run,' she adds thoughtfully. Question of identity Richa admits she once felt a sense of displacement. Her understanding of home and identity evolved over the years. 'At home in Arunachal, we spoke a purer form of Hindi, but with friends, we'd switch to Arunachali Hindi. I often found myself wondering — who am I? Over time, I came to realise that it is possible to belong to more than one place. ' Writing, she says, became the space where she felt most at home. 'I tried various jobs, including a brief stint in journalism, but nothing felt right.' Her novel began as a love story and underwent several transformations across six drafts. After she completed it, Richa submitted the manuscript to numerous publishing houses. 'It was rejected 35 times over two years,' she says. 'Along the way, I was advised to make it pacier, to tone down the characters' internal conflicts. Some said, 'Who wants literary fiction from a debut writer?' But I stayed true to what I believed in.' The story centres on three main characters — Kranti, Maya, and Mridula — each on a journey of search and reckoning. Richa confesses there is a part of her in each of them, and traces of her mother in Maya's mother. The writing process was unhurried. 'I waited for the characters to bloom. I had to be patient enough to see the world through their eyes.' Not every character finds the closure they seek — whether that means reuniting with a loved one or even finding their body after the accident — but they come to terms with their reality. 'Transformation takes time,' she reflects. 'It involves internal conversations.' To write about the aftermath of a train derailment, Richa read extensively on railway accidents and survivor testimonies. 'It was emotionally difficult,' she admits. Through it all, she is grateful for the support she received from her husband Priyadarshi, her in-laws, her sister, and close friends. 'Darshi is an artist — he understands what it takes to create something from the ground up.' Finding Home Again marks the beginning of Richa's journey as a writer. 'There are more ideas brewing,' she says, smiling —'fiction, non-fiction, even poetry.'
Hindustan Times
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
From Ghalib to Gulzar: New anthology maps India's cities through 375 poems
New Delhi, From Ghalib's Delhi and Nissim Ezekiel's Bombay to Agha Shahid Ali's Srinagar and Kamala Das' Calcutta, poets have cast their spell over every corner of the country. A new anthology, "The Penguin Book of Poems on the Indian City", captures the same enchantment, taking readers on a poetic voyage across 37 Indian cities. The recently released anthology, edited by Bilal Moin and published by Penguin Random House India , features a total of 375 poems, including works originally written in English as well as translations from nearly 20 different languages. "It was an honour to compile this poetic atlas of Indian cities — a first-of-its-kind anthology bringing together poetic voices spanning over 1,500 years, translated from more than 20 languages. Here, legendary poets of antiquity coexist with young voices crafting verses in the age of social media, narrating the cities they inhabited and tracing their evolving identities. "Expanding beyond major metropolises, this anthology captures the rhythms and realities of thirty-seven diverse cities, spotlighting forgotten poets and revitalizing many near-lost contributions," said Moin, who has also authored a collection of haikus, titled 'The Ideajunkyard' in 2018. Spanning from the classical voices of Valmiki and the Sangam poets to the Bhakti and Sufi traditions represented by Surdas, Kabir, and Amir Khusrau, as well as early modern poets like Mir Taqi Mir, Narmad, Rudyard Kipling, and Rabindranath Tagore, the anthology provides a rich and immersive lyrical journey through India's cities. It also features contemporary poets including the likes of Arvind Krishna Mehrotra, Vikram Seth, Eunice de Souza, Arun Kolatkar, Amrita Pritam, Amit Chaudhuri and Gulzar. And together, they all take the reader through depictions of cities as imperial capitals, colonial outposts and dynamic, ever-evolving spaces that serve as the backdrop for postmodern life. According to the publisher, at its core, "The Penguin Book of Poems on the Indian City" is a collection that portrays the Indian city as a complex organism and living embodiment of the collective consciences of its many, many residents. "A collection for not just those who live in the cities featured in this book but for anyone who is familiar with the chaotic, paradoxical and magical tableau that constitutes life in a city in this part of the world," they added. The 1062-page tome, priced at ₹1,999, is available for purchase across online and offline stores.
NDTV
03-06-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Unseen Notes of India's 2nd Army Chief, And The 1948 Kashmir Crisis
(The following is an excerpt from 'Commanded by Destiny', by India's former Chief of Army Staff General SM Srinagesh. Published by Penguin Random House India, it recounts his story through the notes he left behind.) The military situation in Jammu and Kashmir early in September 1948, when the command was unified, was far from satisfactory. Our garrisons at Leh and Poonch were isolated, and Pakistan was increasing her pressure. Our L of C [line of communications] Jammu-Srinagar was threatened by infiltrations both from the east and from the west. Although Pakistan had launched no major attacks, our L of C Jammu-Naushehra was also very vulnerable. The threat to Jammu lay in its proximity to the Pakistan border, and to Naushera in the strong Pakistan build-up in the area of Bhimber-Sadabad. Fighting around Jhangar, Uri and Tithwal had been stabilized, and Pakistan had committed her regular troops in these areas supported by mountain and field guns. In the case of Uri, they had also brought up medium guns. For India, the military situation in Kashmir had been adversely influenced by political considerations. Pakistan had no legal or moral right, in view of the expressed wishes of the people and its ruler, to operate with its army in Kashmir, whereas India did. India referred the matter to the UN, which set up the UN Commission on India and Pakistan (UNCIP), before which both parties came to an agreement to refrain from offensive action which was likely to aggravate the situation. Because of its strict adherence to this agreement, India was unable to use her air force in its primary role of isolating the battlefield by attacking Pakistan's supply and communications bases, or to attack Pakistan's installations on the Indian side of the border, inside Kashmir, such as Muzaffarabad and Mirpur, because of possible escalation. On the other hand, Pakistan made full use of the lull caused by the agreement to build its strength and supplement its forces in J&K territory, in such a manner that Poonch and Leh were systematically encircled. For Leh, we had an alternative means of communication via Manali; but the route was long and costly and only usable between June and October. Poonch, however, was so closely invested that our supply planes could not land there, while Pakistan constantly used her artillery, shells often falling amongst the refugees whom we had been giving shelter. The general situation in September 1948, with Leh and Poonch in danger, was, therefore, militarily unsound; but was forced upon us-an example that arms are the servants of political policy. Pakistan continued to aggravate the situation, mustering greater and greater strength against the two isolated garrisons, preparing to defeat them in detail, failing which, starving them and the refugees into submission. The problem was whether we should evacuate these two garrisons or force a link-up. The gaps in our line were from Baltal via Kargil to Leh and from Rajori to Poonch. Pram Baltal to Kargil (fifty miles), the track was snowbound throughout the winter, whereas from Kargil to Leh (150 miles), it was open throughout the year. Rajori to Poonch was only a distance of fifty miles, but this route ran over a series of high ranges and deep valleys with no tracks across them. If Kashmir was not allowed to be captured by Pakistan, we had to close these two gaps and link-up these garrisons. To achieve this end, we carried out two relief operations. I shall later describe those two operations: 'OP DUCK' (the name of which was afterwards changed to 'OP BISON', and 'OP EASY'), which led to the ceasefire. (Disclaimer: The author and publisher of the book are solely responsible for the contents of the book or any excerpt derived therefrom. NDTV shall not be responsible or liable for any claims arising from the contents of the book including any claims of defamation, infringement of intellectual property rights or any other right of any third party or of law.)
