Annabhau Sathe’s works open up to English readers

Thirty-two of his literary works, originally written in Marathi, are being translated into English and will be published worldwide by Bloomsbury Publishing

MUMBAI: From the struggles of farmers and workers to the pain of caste, gender, and class oppression, the powerful stories of Dalit author and social reformer Annabhau Sathe are set to reach a much wider audience.

Annabhau Sathe’s works open up to English readers

Thirty-two of his literary works, originally written in Marathi, are being translated into English and will be published worldwide by Bloomsbury Publishing. This will give readers overseas an opportunity to discover one of Maharashtra’s most influential writers and social reformers.

Among the important works being translated is Master, written in 1966 and translated into English by Aarti Ware. The novel is set during the 1942 Chale Jaav movement in Satara and follows a patriotic schoolteacher, who becomes a revolutionary leader. He brings together farmers and fights the colonial British administration through guerrilla resistance. The novel explores the emotional cost of the independence struggle from the perspective of ordinary people.

Another important work is Chitra, translated by Baliram N Gaikwad. The novel presents the harsh social realities of late-colonial Maharashtra through the experiences of an orphaned girl, who is forced into Mumbai’s brothels. It also tells the story of women who come together to resist exploitation. The novel had earlier found readers in Russia after its translation in 1970.

The project is being undertaken jointly by the University of Mumbai’s Sahityaratna Annabhau Sathe Study Chair of the University of Mumbai, and the Maharashtra government. The deal with Bloomsbury Publishing was finalised a few months ago. Work on translating the books is underway, with the government hoping to get all 32 works published by the end of the year.

Jyoti Mehrotra, publisher, Bloomsbury India, said the publishing house saw strong potential in Sathe’s writing after studying and reading some of the translated material. “We have done a memorandum of understanding with the University of Mumbai on the publication of 32 books of Annabhau Sathe,” she said. “We are providing editing, publishing and distribution services for these books.” Mehrotra said Bloomsbury would take a call on publishing the books online after assessing the response.

Baliram Gaikwad, director of the Sahityaratna Annabhau Sathe Study Chair, said the initiative was much more than a translation project. “The powerful literary voice that chronicled the struggles and lives of Maharashtra, its history, culture and marginalised communities is set to transcend linguistic barriers and reach a worldwide audience,” he said.

Sathe’s works have already travelled beyond Marathi. His literature has been translated into Hindi, Gujarati, Tamil and Russian, with 32 titles now being prepared in English. The Bloomsbury project could take this journey much further, placing Sathe’s work before international universities, libraries, researchers and literary scholars.