Arunava Sinha in conversation with Rakhshanda Jalil

The late Bangladeshi writer Akhtaruzzaman Elias’ novel, Khwabnama, weaves a tapestry of magical realism blending dreams and memory, legend and history with the struggle of marginalised people and the stories of their ancestors. Translated from Bangla to English by Arunava Sinha, the narrative is set in the time of the Tebhaga Movement within Bengal in the 1940s and explores the hopes and aspirations of a farmer as he cultivates his land. In conversation with historian, author and translator Rakhshanda Jalil, Arunava Sinha discusses the nuances of translating a text so heavily steeped in history and the essence of land as a harbinger of hope and the future.

Manoranjan Byapari in conversation with Arunava Sinha

The first of a trilogy, Manoranjan Byapari's latest book, The Runaway Boy, follows Jibon and his spirit of survival through a refugee camp in East Pakistan to his escape to Calcutta. Translated from Bangla to English by V. Ramaswamy, the evocative and imagery-rich book is a gut wrenching account of caste, politics and poverty. Byapari's extraordinary literary career is the stuff of legends and he has recently been elected an MLA in the Bengal elections. His writings include Chhera Chhera Jibon, Ittibrite Chandal Jibon, Amanushik, Anya Bhubon and Motua Ek Mukti Senar Naam. In conversation with translator Arunava Sinha, he discusses this piercing narrative of human determination and the process of its translation.

Anita Agnihotri in conversation with Arunava Sinha

Writer and poet Anita Agnihotri, who retired as Secretary, Social Justice Department, Government of India, has written over 35 books and has been translated into major Indian and international languages. Her books have woven themes of the struggles, exploitation and deprivation of the marginalised with a range of human emotions. Her recent books include the novels Mahanadi and Kaste and translated short stories - A Day in the Life of Mangal Taram. In conversation with celebrated translator Arunava Sinha, she speaks of her journey through the literary world.

Sunandini Banerjee and Arunava Sinha in conversation with Neeta Gupta

“No two persons ever read the same book.”

Renowned for its melancholic nature and dark humour, the cult Bengali novel Herbert written by Nabarun Bhattacharya has, in recent years, been translated thrice into English by Jyoti Panjwani, Arunava Sinha and  Sunandini Banerjee in their separate writings. In a fascinating conversation, Banerjee and Sinha discuss this classic from the 90s and give us insight on the forms of interpretation and translations of regional literature and how it has evolved through the decades. They also discuss Bhattacharya’s voice and syntax, the need to translate Herbert multiple times and the experience and challenges of translating his work.