Kannada writer Vivek Shanbhag, who is best-known for his novella 'Ghachar Ghochar' which was translated into English and has received international acclaim, believes that all creative writers should experience the process of translation. The reason: Shanbhag says it is a humbling process and there's a lot for writers to learn from it.
"The process that happens between me and Srinath Perur (his translator)-- is not just that I write and he translates. In fact, I get a lot as a writer through this translation process. He is challenging me all the time, asking me things not just the meanings or about sentences, but what is the essence beneath it-- that conversation is very important for me and I gain a lot from this discussion as a writer. I feel a creative writer must go through the process of translation because it is a very humbling experience. When you write in your own language, there are a lot of things that you take for granted. But when it passes the gate of translation, you suddenly feel that all those things are not with you. If you are lucky, you are left with the story and the rest of the things don't come to your head. It is a great lesson for fiction writers to examine our own writing style, and how it is rendered in another language," Shanbhag said, sharing his views on translations. The author was speaking at the launch of his latest novel 'Sakina's Kiss' in New Delhi recently.
"Looking at my own work, translation has done a great deal to me. For example, in the process of telling Srinath what's beneath a sentence or a word, I have understood it more," he further added.
Shanbhag's latest novel 'Sakina's Kiss' was launched at the Jawahar Bhavan in New Delhi on September 29, 2023. Initially written in Kannada, 'Sakina's Kiss' is translated into English by Sahitya Akademi winner Srinath Perur and it is published by Penguin India. The story "is a delicate, precise meditation on the persistence of old biases― and a rattled masculinity― in India’s changing social and political landscape," reads the book's blurb.
Both Vivek Shanbhag and Srinath Perur spoke about the translation process, books, and literature in a candid discussion with author Shranaya Bhattacharya, who was the moderator for the event.
Praising the book, Bhattacharya said, "Anyone who reads any of your work or will read this book, will walk away inspired. It is another benchmark of beauty in brevity. Vivek and Srinath, they'll cut you with the sentences-- they are that precise."
Talking about the books he draws his inspiration from, Shanbhag revealed, "I always go back to classics. I do a lot of re-reading; I may not read the books in full, but I like to go back to them. Whenever I travel, I like to take those books and read... Also I read a lot in Kannada. Two important poets for me are-- D. R. Bendre, a great 20th century poet; and Kumara Vyasa, a 15th century poet. One life is not enough to read and enjoy these poets' works. Every time you read their works, there is something new in them. And that is what literature must do-- it should stay with you... It is important for writers to go back to some source where we get our energies from."
When Bhattacharya asked Perur about the books that made a difference to him, he replied, "In school I discovered a shelf of P.G. Wodehouse's books-- they taught me to take pleasure in words. At the British Counsel's library in Bangalore, I discovered Graham Greene's books-- they taught me that life is messy and complex, and fiction is a way of getting somewhere with these things. I also enjoyed reading R.K. Narayan's books. Many people accuse him of sounding like translations, but that's a good thing in my opinion because he managed to capture his world in English."
"Also, since I'm here as a translator I would like to mention 'Asterix' comics too. I read these in school with great deal of pleasure. It's only years later when I came to know that they were translated from French," Perur added.
Both, translator Srinath Perur and author Vivek Shanbhag, also read portions from 'Sakina's Kiss' in English and Kannada respectively for the audience.
The engaging discussion soon came to an end and it was followed by a short question and answer round with the audience, and book signing by the author.
Also seen at the literary evening were International Booker 2022 winner Geetanjali Shree, author Manoj Mitta, publisher Milee Ashwarya from Penguin, among others.
