The Chennai International Book Fair will be Expanded; 45 Tamil Books will be Translated

Explore global literary connections at the Chennai International Book Fair 2024. Discover Tamil literature translated into 25+ languages with 45 approved grants. Join the cultural exchange.

on Dec 27, 2023

The Chennai International Book Fair will be Expanded; 45 Tamil Books will be Translated | Frontlist

During last year's Chennai International Book Fair, more than 350 MoUs for inner and outward translations were signed, according to officials.

So far, the state government has approved 45 external grants for the translation of Tamil literary works into more than 25 languages. Paththuppaattu has been translated into Malay, while Ponniyin Selvan has been adapted into an Italian comic book.

During last year's Chennai International Book Fair, more than 350 MoUs for inner and outward translations were signed, according to officials. Aside from the 45 approved external grants, more over 50 are being reviewed, and another 12 are on a waiting list.

"Through these MoUs, we hope to translate approximately 100 books." Some countries have even started the translation process, designing covers and composing synopses. "We are planning a booklet featuring the books that will be translated, including their covers in the target language and synopses in Tamil," said a Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation (TNTB&ESC) official.

This year, the Tamil Nadu government boosted the translation grant from Rs 1.5 crore to Rs 3 crore. Aside from that, publishers have been urged to apply for translation grants offered by other governments.

According to officials, publishers have received six to seven internal translation funds from various nations so far.

This year's Chennai International Book Festival is projected to draw participants from more than 40 countries.

"This is primarily due to the impact of the CIBF booth at the Frankfurt Book Fair, where we met several publishers and authors." This time, we will have participants from every continent. This includes the United States, Canada, Brazil, France, Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom, Lithuania, Albania, Senegal, Tanzania, New Zealand, and Asian nations such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Russia, and Turkey. Furthermore, the US Consulate has approached us about organising a book launch event," they noted.

To bridge the communication gap that was visible last time, the directorate of public libraries has trained 20 literary agents who will participate in CIBF this year.

The Government-certified Global Literary Agents programme is a ground-breaking effort that aims to develop the state's literary presence in the global arena. The directorate identified and trained 20 people from among the 500 applicants received for the initiative, including a journalist.

According to the authorities, "The participants were broadly trained on the history of Tamil literature, inward and outward grant, copyright laws, preparation of author profiles, blurb and synopsis writing."