Mini Krishnan, in the past three decades, has spearheaded some of the most successful translation projects in the country - finding hitherto unheard voices, bringing subaltern, Dalit literature to the fore, and saving many invaluable works from the brink of extinction. Till today, Oxford has been doing reprints of Karukku,” Bama narrates, adding that none of this could have come to pass without the gift of translation.
This success motivated translations in many regional languages. Besides making it to universities, it was likened to the works of Afro-American writers. After that, its reach spread to the rest of the country and across the world. It was then that the book was translated into English by Oxford University Press Lakshmi Holmstrom did the translation that was commissioned by editor Mini Krishnan. Till 2000, it was only talked about in the literary circles here in Tamil Nadu. It was with translations like these that subaltern works of homegrown talents like Bama and Sukirtharani made it to universities around the world as prescribed ready materials and the subject of doctoral theses. It also helped me widen my perspective,” he recounts, pointing out the kind of change a single work of translation can bring about. This, in turn, introduced me to a whole network of publishers and fellow writers. This increased my readership beyond people in Tamil Nadu and Tamizh-speaking people. The same year, it was shortlisted for the Kiriyama Prize (an international literary award for stories of the Pacific Rim and South Asia). “My work was first translated in 2004 - Koolamadari was turned into Seasons of the Palm. I consider this to be one of my most important works,” he begins, pointing out that translation has played a huge role in furthering his work and taking it to a global audience. It’s likely to be released at the end of the year. In that line, the translation of the novel Kanganam is getting ready as Resolve. “Penguin (Random House) has been releasing translations of my old novels one after the other. And he’s looking forward to more in the coming months.
Perumal Murugan had two translations - Estuary (Kazhimugam) and Four Strokes of Luck - published in the past one year. And there’s plenty more in the making, assure writers and publishers currently in the system. In this corner of the world, the translation wing of publications big and small have come a long way in being able to look at this work as a vital - and bottomline enhancing - element of business giving us R Chudamani’s short stories in English, Bama’s musings in Malayalam and Gabriel García Márquez in Tamizh. Literature across the world has benefitted much from this seemingly simple endeavour of knowledge transfer. For here, there was plenty to be gained in translation. But, when the Tamizh-speaking folk were introduced to its body double of kattravai, pattravai, it took on a new life as a revolutionary anthem. CHENNAI: Ambedkarites all over the world have long since found inspiration in the man’s reformist message - educate, agitate, organise.
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