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
The Discovery Of Telenapota— Premendra Mitra
Translated from the Bengali by Upasya Mukherjee If somehow the planetary positions of Saturn and Mars align, it must be Mars only, then even you can discover Telenapota one day. To put it simply,…...
The Cave— An Italian Story by Lucia Cupertino
Translated from the Italian by Pina Piccolo “So, we are on the same page, then.” These are the laconic words Juana used to seal the conversation. It was the verbal firebreak needed to prevent the…...
A Difficult Puzzle— Atin Bandyopadhyay
Translated from the Bengali by Ankita Bose Since morning, he has been playing the game o'death. It’s not like this every day. And he never really plays alone. If he had to call…...
Creeping Oxalis in April— Yi Jung Chen
Self-translated from the Taiwanese by Yi Jung Chen On a scorching hot day in April, I was sweating like a pig and had an upset stomach. I did not know of a better way…...
A Different Kind— Nasreen Jahaan
Translated from the Bengali by Bishnupriya Chowdhuri My daughter's face on the other side of the lamp appears sharp, brassy the next moment, and at times, waterlike, spreading across the room. For the first time, I…...
The Hunchback Crescent— Thenmozhi
Translated from the Tamil by Dr. S. Vincent “Keep quiet,” said the little girl to a younger and thinner boy with a blank face. Hiding his laughter in the ‘thud’ ‘thud’ of the train, he turned…...
Spirituals— Tiziana Vigni
Self-translated from Italian by Tiziana Vigni In the dark fertile black belt of Greene County, Alabama, cotton bloomed in pale puffs of cream, closed like fists. The cotton gin awaited them in the granary, where it…...
Freedom— Mamta Kalia
Translated from the Hindi by Rituparna Mukherjee My grandmother doted on me. I crossed the room and the courtyard, and hung from her shoulders, “Daadi, I am bored, shall I go out and play?” Daadi took…...
Nights at Baghe Island— Apurba Sarma
Translated from the Assamese by Anindita Kar The main stem of the river runs south of Baghe island. ‘Rijaap’—the southern forest reserve lies further south. These days they no longer call it the ‘rijaap’ but ‘sensuri’—a…...