History of Translation Publication

As has been already pointed out, translations were the first works to be published in British India . After independence, the publication of literary works in English did not increase, because the readership was felt to be too limited to make it a commercially viable enterprise. Sahitya Akademi and National Book Trust were the major publishers of translations in their bid to promote the unity of the country despite its linguistic diversity. The Akademi's translation efforts gathered momentum in the 1980s with the organization of translation workshops across the country from 1986 onwards. It has created a directory of translators and in 1996 set up a centre for translation that is also a research centre. The few private publishing houses like Jaico, Hind Pocket Books, and Sangam books had sporadically published a few translations, like Premchand's Godan's English translation (Jaico), and Bhishm Sahni's Tamas (as Kites will Fly by Vikas).

The publication of translations picked up in the latter half of the eighties, perhaps as a development parallel to the growth of Indian writing in English. The establishment of Katha in 1989 on a non-profit basis was a major factor in bringing about an interest in good quality translations. Kathavilasam, its branch, was established with the intention of bringing lesser known works of Indian literature to readers through quality translations. In course of time the major publishing houses like Macmillan India , Orient Longman, and Oxford University Press started publishing translations. Macmillan has a series called Modern Indian Novels in Translation. Penguin India which started publishing in 1985 in the country, publishes translations on a limited scale. Their most successful translation has been Satyajit Ray's Feluda stories. Oxford University Press also publishes translations, but they are relatively few.