On this International Translation day, we bring to you a list of books which have been written in another language but open windows into other world and its culture. These seven books are a must read for their off-beat topics and stories that connect to one’s everyday life.
Bitter Fruit by Saddat Hassan Manto
A must read for its bold take on unconventional topic, for Manto is synonymous with rebellion and defiance. Constantly shaming hypocrisy, bigotry and censorship here is one author that one must read once in their life.
Tamas by Bhisma Sahni
An epic novel written in the backdrop of partition, “Tamas” (meaning darkness) is completely relevant in today’s time as it reflects how thehuman life has always been disposable collateral in the hands of political conquests.
The House of Kanooru by Kuvempu
From Kannada’s First Jnanpith Award Winner, it is a landmark of modern fiction that captures the vanishing world of a feudal order in a village.
The Essence of Camphor by Naiyer Masud
Masud, Kafka’s translator into Urdu, is known for his fantasy-tinged tales from native India. The story revolves around a perfume maker who uses camphor as his base and focuses on larger issues through his life.
Ponniyin Selvan by Kalki (The First Floods)
Dealing with the life of Rajaraja Chozhan, it is set against the backdrop of tenth century peninsular India. It is the last of the three great novels, the other two being Parthiban Kanavu and Sivakamiyin Sabadam.
Godaan by Premchand
Known for his simplistic writing, this novel highlights the socio economic deprivation as well as the exploitation of the village poor and was the last complete novel of Premchand.
Lihaaf by Ismat Chugtai
The Quilt’ or ‘Lihaaf’ by Ismat Chughtai is one of India’s pioneering works in feminist literature in Urdu. The book is a compilation of short stories written by Chughtai for the Urdu literary journal, Adab-i-Latif. She was charged with obscenity for this work and she fought the case and won.
Seasons of the Palm by Peruvian Murugan
A powerful novel, it tells the story of Shorty, a young dalit farm hand and his painful growth into self-knowledge. The lyrical quality of writing is breathtaking and beautiful.