10 ‘New’ Indian Novels In Translation

The power of language to shape our consciousness and the way stories are expressed is unparalleled, and the sense that writing in English is saturated or limited seems to be pervasive for some of us, particularly in recent times. So it’s no surprise that some of the novels that feel most compelling and real are works translated from regional languages or other tongues. Globally, literature in translation has been growing rapidly, and it is no different here. So we put together a list of some recent recommendations that feel most exciting. 

Damodar Mauzo - The Wait (tr. Xavier Cota)

A collection of short stories translated from Konkani, ‘The Wait’ brings Sahitya Akademi award winner Damodar Mauzo’s distinctive, tender and sometimes bizarre work to the forefront. Probing the human psyche through unexpected tales of migrants, taxi drivers, writers and others, Mauzo explores themes of remorse, identity and aging with unique acuity. 

Abhay K - The Book of Bihari Literature (tr. various)

The Book of Bihari Literature is a vibrant collection of poems, essays and stories collected from various time periods and writers who were born or lived in what is modern-day Bihar. Perhaps the first time such a project has been undertaken, the anthology brings together works in neglected languages by ancient philosophers and celebrated contemporary authors, edited and compiled by Bihari author Abhay K.

Khalid Jawed - The Paradise of Food (tr. Baran Farooqi)

The winner of the 2022 JCB Prize, this is a masterwork from Urdu writer Khalid Jawed, a book that brings together experimental prose, vivid description and dark honesty. It tells the tale of a middle-class Muslim joint family, but it’s not a book focussed on plot at all - it’s a tale that plays out in the arena of the kitchen and the mind, forcing the reader to imagine the gluttonous, the carnal and the existential in radical new ways. 

Debarati Mukhopadhyay -  Chronicles of the Lost Daughters (tr. Arunava Sinha) 

A classic saga that evokes the heyday of Bengali literature, Chronicles of the Lost Daughters is the story of indentured labourers in Bengal and beyond, including Bhubonmoni, a young widow forced to leave her village and almost sold into slavery before ending up in Calcutta. Set against the vibrant background of late nineteenth-century Bengal, Debarati Mukhopadhyay’s beautifully woven novel brings together the glory and the decadence of colonial times. 

Abdus Samad - Search for A New Land (tr. Syed Sarwar Husain)

Translated to English only decades later, this deeply emotional and political novel received the Sahitya Akademi award in 1990. Originally published in Urdu as Do Gaz Zameen, the book traces the journey of the Hussain family from the 1920s to 1970s, as they travel through the Bihar province, to Calcutta, Karachi, and Dhaka during intensely critical political events that shaped the formation of new lands and new identities in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

Satya Vyas - Banaras Talkies (tr. Himadri Agarwal)

First published in Hindi in 2015, Banaras Talkies has remained on the bestseller list since then before being translated relatively recently. A slice-of-life novel, it captures college life with all its twists and turns, following three friends and others as they navigate undergraduate life in Banaras, steal exam papers, struggle to speak to women, find friends in corridors lined with dirty linen, and forge lifelong bonds. Written with the idiomatic flourish that is the hallmark of Banarasi colloquialism, this comic novel is well worth exploring.

Vaasanthi - Breaking Free (tr. Kalyan Raman)

Set against the rising clamour for India's independence, Breaking Free is a nuanced and thought-provoking story of three generations of women and the effects that history, memory and secrets have on their lives. Brilliantly translated by N. Kalyan Raman, it brings Vaasanthi's Tamil masterpiece to a new readership and tells the story of Devdasis across eras.

Kalindi Charan Panigrahi - Salt of the Earth (tr. various)

Kalindi Charan Panigrahi was a notable poet and writer in Odia, who was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1971. Matira Manisha (Salt of the Earth) is his most well-known work and tells the tale of two brothers who have absolutely different approaches to the land they inherit from their father, leading to rifts within a joint family. 

Surendranath S. - Slices of the Moon Swept by the Wind (tr. Prathibha Nandakumar)

A simple, touching story told through the eyes of a special child, this book was translated from Kannada last year and explores the dysfunctional universe of the boy’s family and surroundings. From his sisters to his parents to an extended cast of characters around his world, this is a story about society, disability and perceptiveness told with tenderness and nuance.

Manindra Gupta - Pebble Monkey (tr. Arunava Sinha) 

A translation of the late Manindra Gupta’s novella from Bengali, Pebblemonkey is a tale that seems all the more relevant in the age of climate change and conservation, told from the point of view of an adventurous monkey in the mountains. Recently translated into English by Arunava Sinha, the book has a folkloric, magical feel, weaving together adventure and a cautionary tale about the exploitation of nature.