Publication of translations

We have already seen how the publication of translations works in India. The translation publication sene is quite vibrant, as translations constitute a significant part of what we call Indian literature. Of course there is the reality that most of the translations are into English rather than Indian languages because of the status that English enjoys vis a vis Indian languages in India. The number of regional language publishing houses that publish translations is less than those publishing English translations. Penguin India and Katha are the prominent firms that publish English translations, but their forays into regional languages are rare. In fact, Penguin once ventured into Malayalam publishing, but did not go beyond a few titles. English is still the dominant language in India.

The hegemony of English is seen in a different way in Britain and the U.S. Translations form but an insignificant part of Anglo-American literature, and amount to about four percent of the total literature published there. In comparison, France has 12%  and Germany about 15%. (It has to be stated here that these are figures from the 1990s and given by Venuti; things must have changed by now). However, the passage of years has not dented the status of English as a global language. Writers and their writings gain visibility only after they are published in English, even if they are Nobel Prize awardees. The publication figures for translations in the Anglo-American world point to the power dynamics at work in the relationship between languages of the world.

Venuti is of the view that “these translation patterns point to a trade imbalance with serious cultural ramifications” (14). British and American publishers who travel to international book fairs like the Frankfurt Book Fair usually sell the translation rights for English books. But the number of translation rights they buy is very low. Their interest is only in books that promise to be bestsellers. In this context it is interesting to remember the huge advance that Vikram Seth got for his book. This is probably because the ‘exotic’ nature of Indian English books ensure a certain readership. Translations are thought to be financially ‘risky’ because they do not fetch the readership that English books do.