As the Amar Ekushey Grantha Mela draws to a close today, readers and publishers have noted a significant addition to this year’s fair – the growing popularity of Bengali translations of various classics of world literature.
Publishers mentioned that readers who may not feel entirely comfortable studying English texts but have a strong interest in enjoying literary works from diverse cultures and languages, transcending national boundaries, are actively seeking and purchasing translation works.
According to them, they have responded to the demand of readers by publishing more Bengali translations of classics from other languages. However, they noted that the translation of classics of Bangla literature into foreign languages has not increased as expected.
Seba Prokashoni consistently offers a substantial number of translations. Kamal Hossain, the manager of the publishing house, remarked, “There is consistently high demand for translated literature, and we anticipate this demand will continue to grow. Many readers may not find English texts comfortable to read, but they harbour a deep interest in world literature. Translations enable them to experience the richness of global literary works.”
There are considerable allegations about the quality of many newly published translations. With the increasing popularity of translated books, the number of substandard translations is also increasing.
Responding to this complaint, Kamal Hossain said if a reader does not understand the translation, questions can be raised about quality. Seba Prokashoni, however, publishes books to ensure quality.
Shahriar Fahim, a salesperson at Oitijjhya, noted that the number of translated books sold this year surpasses the sales figures of the last five years combined.
“Translations and novels are our top-selling items. This year, a significant portion of our 230 new books comprised translations. The average sales of these translated copies improved steadily every day,” he said.
Small or big, almost all publishing houses have brought translations of novels, thrillers, detective series, biographies, theories and historical books of globally famous authors into Bangla.
Also, many translated books are published without the permission of the original author. As a result, the editing of these books was not done professionally.
Author and translator Afsana Begum has translated “Kukur o Goenda” (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) by English novelist Mark Haddon and “Roman Samrajjo” (The Roman Empire) by American author Isaac Asimov.
According to her, the state of translation literature is having a good time as the demand for such works is increasing gradually.
She said, “Good to see that translation works are getting good response from readers. It indicates the changing tastes of readers, but the substandard works of translations are deceiving bookworms. Publishers and readers need to be careful while selecting and purchasing books.”
Writer and East West University teacher Sajid ul Haque Abir’s translation work “The Forty Rules of Love” by Turkish-British novelist and essayist Elif Shafak has received much appreciation from readers.
Abir mentioned that his translation, spanning 1,15,000 words across 425 pages, was a laborious task. Consequently, the positive response from readers has brought him great joy.
Talking about the low number of translations of Bangla classics into other languages, he said publishers should come forward aiming to present Bangla literature to global readers.
On the 30th day of the book fair, the gate was opened at 11am and continued till 9pm.
According to the Bangla Academy, 219 new books hit the stalls on the day.
Today, on the 31st and last day of the fair, the concluding ceremony of the fair will be held at 5pm on the main stage of the fair. Bangla Academy Director General Mohammad Nurul Huda will deliver the welcome speech. Prime Minister’s Education and Cultural Affairs Adviser Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury will attend the programme as the chief guest while Cultural Affairs Secretary Khalil Ahmed will be a special guest.
Bangla Academy President Selina Hossain will chair the event.
The fair gate will open at 11am and the fair will continue till 9pm on the day.
