February: A book translated from an Indian language

Did you know there are more than a 100 languages and more than 200 mother tongues commonly used in India? In order to celebrate this diversity, the theme for February is Translations from any Indian language. If you’d like to read a book in a native Indian language instead of a translation, that’s ok too!

Recommendations:

Teresa's Man and other stories from Goa Translated from Konkani. This book brings to readers the tales of Goa which are compellingly local in their flavour as tbey are universal in the ideas and emotions they evoke

Ghachar Ghochar Translated from Kannada. Elegantly written and punctuated by moments of unexpected warmth and humour, this is a quietly enthralling and deeply unsettling novel about the shifting meanings and consequences of financial gain in contemporary India

By The Tungabhadra Translated from Bengali. Historical fiction set in the time of Kalingas, full of traiturous siblings, trustworthy allies and the woes of forbidden and unrequitted love, this is a classic tale of intrigue, love and war

The Liberation of Sita Translated from Telugu. Sita's arduous journey to self realization, after being abandoned by Rama. A powerful subversion of India's most popular mythology, this book opens up new spaces within the old discourse, enabling women to review their lives and experiences afresh.

No Presents Please: Stories of Mumbai Translated from Kannada. A book of short stories that takes us to photo framers, flower markets and Irani cafes, revealing a city trading in fantasies while its strivers, eating once a day and sleeping ten to a room, hold secret ambitions close.