Novelist Vivek Shanbhag speaks on nuances of translating literary works into different languages

Mysore/Mysuru: Writer and novelist Vivek Shanbhag asserted that before translating any literary work, the translator should have a fine understanding of the creative style of the original and the relation between the author and the language.

He was participating in a panel discussion at Mysuru Literature Festival-2024 last evening on his novel ‘Sakina’s Kiss’ which was translated into English from Kannada.

“If I can speak good English, it doesn’t mean I share the same bond with the language, akin to Kannada. Hence, I met Srinath Perur in Kochi and asked about his interest in translating my novel into English. He gave his consent after three days to translate the book,” recalled Shanbhag.

On the political points in his novel, Shanbhag said, “The way I write is not the way I speak. I won’t write to make a statement, irrespective of political or social matters. But for a writer, it becomes inevitable, as observed in the book.”

Translator Srinath Perur said,

while translating a book, it is vital to understand words and world in which the writer is in. Before getting into translation, the discussions we have with others about the book, also come in handy. Writer Sita Bhaskar and translator Jayashree Jagannatha moderated the panel discussion.