Earlier, a publisher aborted project citing author’s support to BJP in Lok Sabha polls
Sahitya Akademi winner Joe D Cruz’s Tamil novel Aazhi Soozh Ulagu is at last likely to be published in English.
An earlier attempt to bring out an English version was aborted after the publisher and translator cancelled the project, because Mr. D’Cruz voiced his support to the BJP in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls.
Oxford University Press (OUP) has now decided to come out with a fresh translation. “I went through over 50 pages already translated and I am happy with the version,” said the writer, a Catholic.
Publishing firm Navayana and translator V. Geetha disagreed with Mr. D Cruz’s political stand and decided against publishing the English translation that was titled Ocean Ringed World . “We cannot press for its publication when the translator is against the idea,” said Mr. D Cruz, whose second novelKorkai won the Sahitya Akademi award in 2013.
Both Aazhi Soozh Ulagu and Korkai capture the life of fishermen in the Gulf of Mannar, providing deep insight into the psyche and tenacity of the community, which embraced Christianity as a token gratitude to the Portuguese, who offered protection to pearl fishing.
Former college teacher G. Geetha will be the new translator. “We zeroed in on Ms. Geetha since she has previous experience in translating literary works involving the Christian community and the life of fishermen. Moreover, we need a translator who has time to do justice to the voluminous novel,” said Mini Krishnan, editor, Translation, OUP.
Ms. Geetha, who taught English for nine years in a city college and quit the job to focus on translation, has rendered into English Hephzibah Jesudasan’s Puthan Veedu (‘Lizy’s Legacy’) written in the dialect of the Nadar community in the western part of Kanyakumari district, Vannanilavan’s Kadalpurathiley (‘ By the Seaside ’ ) portraying the life of fishermen and S. Ramakrishnan’s novel for children Kiru Kiru Vaanam .
“Translating Aazhi Soozh Ulagu is both interesting and challenging as it is a one-of-a-kind novel,” Ms Geetha said. Even though there were other novels depicting the life of the fishermen community, Aazhi Soozh Ulagu was rich in information and written in the authentic language of the people.
Ms. Krishnan said popular response to translated books was very good and OUP found demand for reprinting. “Our range is wide when it comes to translation. We have 120 titles in 15 Indian languages translated into English,” she said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by B Kolappan / Chennai – February 23rd, 2015