Here, translation unlocks stories from languages afar, people unknown yet familiar in voices that stun you and resonate with you. Here is your book of world stories

 

FICTION

A Persian story invoking magic realism by Moniro Ravanipour

The Koli By The Fireβ€” Moniro Ravanipour

Translated from the Persian by Marjan Modarres SabzevariΒ    Prancing around the tent, she was twisting her body and twirling around with any alteration in the sound of the Ney-anbān. She was dragging her young and lively…...
A Tamil story about kindness by Ku. Azhagirisamy

Raja Has Comeβ€” Ku. Azhagirisamy

Translated from the Tamil by Dr. S. VincentΒ    "I have a silk shirt. How about you?" Ramasamy asked smugly. Not knowing what to say, Chellaiah just blinked. Thambaiah thoughtfully looked at the sky. Mangammal, index finger…...
A Hindi fiction on women education in India by Maitreyi Pushpa

Daughterβ€” Maitreyi Pushpa

Translated from the Hindi by Rituparna MukherjeeΒ    I was walking down a dirt road with dust-laden feet. I was not a stranger to that road. In my childhood, I used to traverse it every day on…...
A Bengali story about trapping a mouse by Wasi Ahmed

The Tricks Of Catching A Mouseβ€” Wasi Ahmed

Translated from the Bengali by Anujata BhattacharyaΒ    Such fuss for a rat! At first, zinc phosphide, then adhesive, and lastly the iron nets. But the rat hardly cares. We too didn’t pay much heed at first.…...
An Italian story evoking the imagery of crystals by Francesca Diano

Trainsβ€” Francesca Diano

Translated from the Italian by Laura ValeriΒ    I don’t know you. I don’t. You’re reading, holding papers in your hand typed with who knows what. Who uses typewriters nowadays? Don’t you have a PC? Every now…...
A Hindi fiction about leopard vs dogs by Indira Dangi

New Colonyβ€” Indira Dangi

Translated from the Hindi by Vishaal PathakΒ    Much like the modern-bod conservative-at-heart, a Nazar-Battu, hangs from the top of the grand entrance gate to the posh colony.Β  Kids underneath, with heavy schoolbags, are hopping on board…...
A humorous story about cows

The Vicar’s Cowsβ€” Hjalmar SΓΆderberg

Translated from the Swedish by Jolene Armstrong   I had not seen my old fellow student, the vicar Torelius in Lerkila, for ten years, when recently, on a warm summer evening, we bumped into each other on…...
A patriotic Hindi fiction by Mamta Kalia

The Foreignerβ€” Mamta Kalia

Translated from the Hindi by Rituparna MukherjeeΒ    We were a strange family indeed. Three brothers and a sister, settled in three different countries, who missed each other’s company dearly. When we pined for each…...
A Bengali story evoking surrealism by Shyamal Gangopadhyay

The Fairyβ€” Shyamal Gangopadhyay

Translated from the Bengali by Chaiti MitraΒ    Om Prize money of 4001 Within Bengal, or any other place, playing the violin with basic notes (swargram) and extensions (lahari) in the following ragas: 1) Behag,…...