An Innovative Initiative

For Bengali literature, like literature in any other regional language, translation is a cultural necessity, not a mere literary exercise. Without translation, literary appreciation stops at the regional borders, depriving the rest of the world of the habit of a varied palate.

As a Bengali, I always lamented the dearth of good translators, and the lack of efforts in taking rich Bengali writings to other parts of the country and the world. It goes without saying that our reliance on English as the chief vehicle of literary mobility reveals the tensions inherent in postcolonial Indian literary production. This issue, however, does not negate the challenges of promoting good literature widely only through the translation of one regional language to another, rather than to English, and therefore should be set aside for the time being.

Six Stories, a series conceptualized by the Antonym Collections, is an effort towards bridging the aforementioned gap. The series plans to publish English translations of six stories (no more, no less) by an author and present it to the English language readers. The focus is to acquaint the target language readers with a particular author through short stories, and a particular translator through their translatory interpretation of them.

Short stories can uphold the versatility of an author’s style. With a very diverse assortment of human reality and emotions, the presentation of the stories becomes a treat to the reader. Every book can be used as a platform to introduce the author to the readers. They also carry a conversion with the respective author. For readers unfamiliar with the original author and the culture of the source language, the interview becomes a glimpse into the author’s worldview, as a dessert of sorts after the full course meal that is the stories. A translator’s note and a brief introduction to the author also engages you and pulls you into the cosmos of that particular Six Stories book.

The series editor, Nabanita Sengupta’s mission states:

“Our languages are full of literary gems, tucked away from the hustle of the extended readership, in the calm comfort of their respective languages. Voices that should transcend linguistic barriers are still waiting to be recognized. While it not only reduces the readership for a serious literary work, it also leaves the readers impoverished, depriving them of the opportunity to delve into the heterogeneity of literature. Even in a heavily translated language like Bangla, there are several authors who have not been represented in other languages. ”

So far, four anthologies under the series heading of Six Stories have made their appearance and are in our hands. The choice of authors, firstly, marks a notable shift from that run of the mill selection from the Who’s Who among contemporary Bengali literature. These writers are all committed authors, and do not fall in the ‘pop’ literature category. For example, Abhijit Sen had affiliated himself to the Naxalite movement in his youth. His family was displaced from East Bengal, now Bangladesh. 

In his book in the series, stories have been curated to portray travails of women from marginal families, Muslim and Hindu households notwithstanding. Celebrated in Bengali reader circles in the past twenty years, Swapnamoy Chakrabarty is another writer of a very tall stature. Dark humour and sarcasm are markers of Swapnamoy’s writing, which has been deftly preserved in the translation. Day to day details burst into something unknown and deep inside us. It’s this tension-wrought writing which carries the reader quickly through the pages.

Same goes with Bhagirath Mishra, who is a master storyteller and tells stories that are mundane on the surface but always climax in a punch. His famous “Rainmaker” is a representative of his style – legends, myths, and the surreal rolled into a simple text. Selecting the right story from the right author is a challenge and has been done meticulously.

Nasreen Jahan has, again, a nuanced and very sensitive writing style. Born in the late sixties, Nasreen Jahan is an acclaimed writer and literary editor from Bangladesh. Her literary career spans over three decades and encompasses a prolific body of work, including prose, poetry, and non-fiction. The richness of her craft has been kept intact in translation. Nasreen weaves tales which are intricate and textured. The story of the cow-thief Kutubuddi from “Opponent”, and the meek and docile girl from “How do I look?” leave you with the shiver and joy of reading something otherworldly. “Allan Poe’s Cat” ends surreally, while also depicting a lonely wife’s travail perfectly.

The books are very pocket friendly, both in allegorical and literal terms. They do not pose a daunting challenge for the reader and are easy on the read. Thanks to good translators like Sarban Bandyopadhyay, Madhura Bhattacharya, Rituparna Majumdar (for Abhijit Sen), Chaitali Sengupta (for Swapnamoy Chakraborty), Subhasis Gangopadhyay, Mrinal Kanti Dasgupta, Amlan Biswas, Amita Roy (for Bhagirath Mishra), and Bishnupriya Chowdhuri (for Nasreen Jahan), gems from Bangla literature are being carried forward to readers of English.

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https://www.amazon.in/Six-Stories-Abhijit-Sen/dp/B0F3DJ82RR