Tamil Literature to be Translated into Over 50 Languages

Tamil literature, from classics to children's books, will be translated into 50+ languages, including Arabic, French, and Malay, promoting global cultural exchange.

on Jan 20, 2025

Tamil Literature to be Translated into Over 50 Languages

Chennai: Tamil literature, ranging from ancient classics like Thirukkural to contemporary children’s books such as Let Us Play Without Electronic Gadgets, is set to reach a global audience through translations into more than 50 languages, including Arabic, French, Malay, Swahili, Marathi, and Bengali.

At the Chennai International Book Fair, the highest number of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed for Arabic translations, with 33 Tamil books selected for the initiative. French and Malay also saw significant interest.

“We’ve also signed agreements for translations into lesser-known languages like Albanian and Latvian,” said T. Sankara Saravanan, Joint Director of the Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation. For many languages, publishers prefer translating Tamil books via their English versions, with English translations taking precedence for global reach.

To facilitate this, the corporation plans to co-publish English versions of Tamil books with renowned publishers such as Oxford University Press (OUP). “Books with signed MoUs will be prioritized for English translations,” Saravanan explained.

Indian publishers from languages like Marathi, Bengali, and Hindi have also shown interest in translating Tamil contemporary and children’s literature.

OUP is set to revive its translation division to support this initiative, committing to publish English versions of 11 Tamil titles, including Women Through the Ages by Rajam Krishnan and Sedal by Imayam.

The project also includes plans to translate Tamil epics like Silappathikaram and Manimekalai and popular children’s books such as Earth Is Suffering from Fever and Don’t Touch Me into both Indian and international languages.

This ambitious effort aims to bring Tamil’s rich literary heritage to readers worldwide, fostering cultural exchange and appreciation.