New Delhi: To mark the P.N. Panicker Book Reading Month (9 June to 19 July) and to guide readers during the monsoon reading season, Valley of Words (VoW) — a literature and arts festival — will announce its shortlist in eight categories.
These categories encompass fiction in English and Hindi, translations from various Indian languages — “Bhashas of Bharat” — into Hindi and English, as well as books for young adults and children in bilingual formats. This diverse offering caters to all ages and interests, helping readers find the perfect monsoon reads.
As is done every year, VoW has begun announcing its 2024 shortlist for translated fiction this week. VoW has long been a champion of translated works, recognising their importance with a dedicated category since the inception of the VoW Book Awards.
This year’s shortlist for the English Translation category features five novels translated from Gujarati, Hindi, Assamese, Tamil and Bengali. The selection of stories, ranging from social commentary and family sagas to coming-of-age journeys and contemporary issues, bridges the gap between languages and cultures, making Indian literature accessible to a wider audience.
From the poignant tale of a Parsi family, an Adivasi boy’s fight for upward mobility, to the struggles of a woman poet in the ruthless world of advertising, the shortlist promises a captivating exploration of the human experience. Readers can expect evocative narratives, thought-provoking themes, and a glimpse into the unique traditions of various Indian communities.
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The 2024 VoW shortlist in the English Translation category includes:
Dukhi Dadiba and the Irony of Fate, by Dadi Edulji Taraporewala, translated from Gujarati by Aban Mukherji/Tulsi Vatsal (Ratna Books)
My Poems Are Not for Your Ad Campaign, by Anuradha Sarma Pujari, translated from Assamese by Aruni Kashyap (Penguin)
I Named My Sister Silence, by Manoj Rupda, translated from Hindi by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar (Eka Westland)
The Man Who Walked Backwards and Other Stories, by S. Ramakrishnan, translated from Tamil by Prabha Sridevan (Orient BlackSwan)
Truth/Untruth, by Mahasweta Devi, translated from Bengali by Anjum Katyal (Seagull Books)
The Hindi Translation shortlist for this year also presents a spectrum of stories. From a gripping blend of historical fiction and suspense to stories about the cultural, social, political and economic life in Goa after its independence from Portuguese rule, there is something in store for every reader.
Shortlisted books in the Hindi Translation category include:
Ambar Pariya, by Baljinder Nasrali, translated from Punjabi by Subhash Nirav (Radhakrishna Paperback)
Mazda kay Jadugar, by Ashwin Sanghi, translated from English by Naved Akbar (Harper Hindi)
Mannat aur Anya Kahaniya, by Damodar Mauzo, translated from Konkan by Ramita Gurav (Vani Prakashan)
Gopal Krishna Gokhale, by Govind Talvalkar, translated from Marathi by Damodar Khadse (Samvad Prakashan)
Dhimi Wali Fast Passenger, by Mark Tully, translated from English by Prabhat Singh (Rajkamal)
ThePrint is the digital media partner for the Valley of Words Book Awards 2024.