‘Bhairavi- The Runaway’, written by Shivani aka Gaura Pant, a pioneer of women’s fiction in India, is the story of a woman's life, her resilience, her moral and mental strength, and about the restraints and choices women have in the society.
In this episode of India Booked, the translator of ‘Bhairavi’ and Chitra Mudgal’s ‘Giligadu’, Priyanka Sarkar talks to Ayushi Mona about her experience translating the books, the scope and depth of women’s literature, about bringing alive a concept to an unaware audience and as she says, ‘translating the untranslatable’.
The discussion in this episode spans from the reactions women receive from the society for writing bold books to the inclusion of glossaries in translations to spirituality and sensuality in mythology and the aspect of humanizing the characters in it. Priyanka takes us into the world of ‘Bhairavi’ through significant excerpts from the book, both in Hindi and English, while pulling out comparisons between them and explaining the nuances of translation. Tune in now!
The India Booked podcast uses literature as a lever to bring multiple facets of the country alive. It's perfect for not just bibliophiles and trivia junkies but also people interested in learning more about India. Each episode focuses on a different theme, ranging from business and food, to history and politics, geography and spirituality. It unfolds as a 40-45 minute conversation between the host and a celebrated author to talk about everything India.
Priyanka Sarkar is a translator and an editor. She has translated Chitra Mudgal’s, Giligadu (Niyogi Books 2019) and Shivani's Bhairavi (Yoda Press-Simon & Schuster forthcoming) into English. Her translations of short stories from Hindi to English have been published by OUP, South Asian Review and Women Unlimited. She has also translated from English to Hindi and Bengali to English. As a publishing consultant, she works with various organizations including Sangam House and Labyrinth Literary Agency and has previously worked with OUP India, Random House India and was the Editorial Head at Konark Publishers.
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