Storyteller Bookstore, the brainchild franchise of Mayura Misra, has long been known to promote and harbour literary conversations and exchange. In collaboration with Kolkata Bookworms and Fingerprint! Publishing, the bookstore’s Ballygunge Circular Road outlet hosted author-translator Prasun Roy on April 21 to discuss Roy’s translatorial venture The Devil’s Teacup and Other Ghost Stories, a compilation of his translations of 13 short supernatural stories by Bibhutibhushan Bandhopadhyay.
The session, entitled ‘Found in Translation’, primarily discussed the relevance and need of translated literature in today’s world, along with delving into Roy’s own experiences as an author and translator. Touching upon the themes of making literature accessible to the masses, the ethics and aesthetics of translation, and the conflict between the writer and the translator when one is both, the panellists made the session an extremely enlightening experience, and threw much light on the industry of translation in the country.
Bandhyopadhyay’s contributions to the oeuvre of Bengali literature have always been indispensable. In this regard, Roy’s translations of his works help spread the sheer power of his pen to the non-Bengali reader, helping them unearth and discover the various other genres he was adept at. “Bibhutibhushan is known primarily for his novels, such as Chaander Pahar and Aranyak, but very few people know of or have read his horror tales. There is a whole gamut of subjects that he has covered, and that includes about 45 ghost stories. I chose to translate these 13 because each of them is different from the next. Each has an untypical rendition of a ghost, or something else that is paranormal in nature. So each story is unique, and that is why I wanted to translate them. Besides, Bibhutibhushan is a personal favourite, which made this effort that much more fruitful,” said Roy at the event.
Mayura, who is a firm believer in inculcating the habit of reading in children, was adamant in her views that now, more than ever, there is the need for translated literature in the country. “Schools nowadays don’t seem very keen on allowing students to study in the vernacular. Lots of schools no longer make studying the vernacular mandatory after Class X. This is where translations help a lot. They make literature accessible to not only one particular language bracket, but a multitude of readers who speak other languages,” she said.
The initiative of Kolkata Bookworms and Storyteller Bookstore in recognising the efforts of translators is commendable. While Roy’s book had been talked about — and Roy himself had taken part in panel discussions — at the Tata Steel Kolkata Literary Meet and Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival earlier this year, the cosy ambience and select circle at the Storyteller Ballygunge outlet allowed for much freer conversation and interesting questions to crop up every now and then. “It’s important to remember that a good translation also involves the act of transcreation. One aspect of Bibhutibhushan’s work is that he was always very verbose about the beauties of nature, so much so that it became an innate part of all his works. That is what creates the haunting effect in his ghost stories. Maintaining that same effect and essence while translating was one of the most exciting parts of the process,” Roy told the audience.