Mysuru: Mysuru-based scientist and Kannada author Dr.PrasannaSanthekadur’s acclaimed novel ‘Su’, based on the life and tragic death of Chinese-American cancer researcher Dr.Zao-Zhong Su, has now been translated into Italian.

First published in 2020 by SamvahanaPrakashana, Mysuru, the novel has since been reprinted and translated into several Indian languages, including Malayalam, Telugu and Marathi.

The novel tells the story of Su, who lost his wife and later his fiancée to cancer and dedicated himself to finding a cure for the disease. It also traces how Su eventually succumbedto liver cancer.

Critics have drawn parallels between ‘Su’ and Leo Tolstoy’s ‘The Death of Ivan Ilyich’, as both works explore the isolation and suffering associated with terminal illness and the existential questions it raises.

The Italian translation was undertaken by Dr. Jaya Murthy, a 78-year-old writer and translator who moved from Mysuru to Italy with her family nearly four decades ago and settled in Pisa.

Dr. Murthy has earlier translated three Kannada works into Italian, including ‘Sharapanjara’, a classic novel by late writer Triveni, ‘Dollar Sose’ by SudhaMurty and ‘Hambala’ by Gayatri Murthy. She completed her master’s degree in Pisa and wrote her thesis on celebrated Indian English author R.K. Narayan.

Dr.PrasannaSanthekadur is currently a senior Professor at the Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology and Regenerative Medicine (CEMR) and the Department of Biochemistry, JSS Medical College, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research.

Originally from Santhekadur in Shivamogga district, he worked as a scientist at various institutes in the US. He has been working in cancer biology for over two decades and has received several national and international awards for his research in cancer and liver diseases.