In this episode, I am joined by N. Kalyan Raman, a celebrated translator of modern and contemporary Tamil fiction and poetry into English. Our conversation will explore his journey as a translator, the Tamil literary milieu, the process of text selection, the power and significance of translation, the dynamic between author and translator, the challenges faced by translators, and the broader goal of fostering a more robust literary discourse around translated works.

References:

1. N Kalyan Raman: Website, X, Published Works
2. Ashokamitran, Sundara Ramaswamy, D. Jayakanthan, Subramania Bharati, Perumal Murugan, Vaasanthi, Devibharathi, Poomani
3. Heart Lamp: Selected Stories by Banu Mushtaq, translated from Kannada by Deepa Bhashti
4. Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree, translated from Hindi by Daisy Rockwell
5. Pyre by Perumal Murugan, translated from Tamil by Aniruddhan Vasudevan
6. Poonachi: Or the Story of a Black Goat by Perumal Murugan, translated from Tamil by N Kalyan Raman
7. One Part Woman by Perumal Murugan, translated from Tamil by Aniruddhan Vasudevan
8. Chowringhee by Sankar, translated from Bengali by Arunava Sinha
9. Ghachar Ghochar by Vivek Shanbhag, translated from Kannada by Srinath Perur
10. A Southern Harvest (Katha Regional Fiction), edited by Githa Hariharan
11. Farewell, Mahatma: Stories, The Solitude of a Shadow by Devibharathi, translated from Tamil by N Kalyan Raman
12. Breaking Free: A Novel by Vaasanthi, translated from Tamil by N Kalyan Raman
13. Vaadivaasal, the Arena by C.S. Chellappa, translated from Tamil by N Kalyan Raman
14. Vaadivaasal, the Arena by C.S. Chellappa, adapted by Perumal Murugan and Appupen [Graphic Novel]
15. Animal Farm by George Orwell
16. Boats Against the Current: The Kongunadu novels of Perumal Murugan by N Kalyan Raman
17. Why Perumal Murugan’s “One Part Woman” is Significant to the Debate on Freedom of Expression in India by N Kalyan Raman
18. Indian judge rules novelist silenced by nationalist pressure ‘be resurrected’ by Vidhi Doshi
19. Nirmal Verma, Krishna Sobti, Mahasweta Devi, Sunil Gangopadhyay
20. The JCB Prize for Literature has shut down. What else has ended with it? by Arunava Sinha
21. Susan Santag: Quotes on reading and translation
22. Walter Benjamin: The task of the translator