Imayam and Translator Speak: Translating Emotion at Lit for Life 2026
Imayam and Translator Speak: Translating Emotion at Lit for Life 2026
Authors and translators share emotional journeys, revealing the pain and catharsis of translating Imayam at The Hindu's Lit for Life festival.
At Lit for Life 2026, Imayam and Justice Prabha Sridevan took the stage for a session titled The Joys and Challenges of Translating Imayam, drawing a crowd of readers and fellow writers. Sridevan, who has translated four of Imayam's books, described translation as an emotional journey and a form of catharsis.
"He asked me whether I would go through the same pain that he had experienced," she recalled, noting that she answered in the affirmative. The moment underscored how translators often share the writer's vulnerability as they strive to preserve voice and intent across languages.
Moderated by journalist Kavitha Muralidharan, the discussion delved into what it means to be functionally true to the author while keeping the text alive in another tongue. The exchange highlighted the delicate balance between fidelity and feeling, a challenge that translators confront with every line.
Another session, Translation: The Bridge Over Lives and Landscapes, featured Chandan Gowda, Gowri Ramnarayan, and Vanamala Viswanatha, who spoke about creating the ambience and texture of the original text so readers across languages can experience Imayam's worlds.
Translators emphasized that translation is more than a word-for-word swap; it is a cultural bridge that requires capturing nuance, mood, and cadence. The conversations painted a vivid picture of how literary translation sustains authors’ legacies by re-presenting them across linguistic borders.
