Archive · 2 Sep 2025
Srinath Perur on Translation: Creating an Author's Voice
Srinath Perur is a writer and translator who loves to bring stories to life.
He started reading a lot as a child and got inspired.
He writes books and translates them from different languages, which is like creating a new voice for the original author.
He translated famous books like 'Ghachar Ghochar.'
He explained that translating is about capturing the feeling of the original writing, not just translating words.
Perur has also written travel stories and essays.
He emphasizes that translation goes beyond matching words and involves understanding the author's intent.
Srinath Perur is a writer and translator known for his English translations of Kannada author Vivek Shanbag's works.
Perur's literary roots trace back to his youth in 1980s Bangalore, with access to many libraries.
He began his writing with short stories and then published the travelogue 'If Its Monday It Must be Madurai'.
Perur started translating Kannada books, including 'Ghachar Ghochar,' after meeting Vivek Shanbag.
He emphasizes that translation requires creating a voice to convey the author's intent, not just word-for-word conversion.
- Who
- Srinath Perur
- What
- A writer and translator, discusses his career and the art of translation
- When
- His career spans from the 1980s to the present.
- Where
- Karnataka, India, with early influences from Bangalore libraries.
- Why
- To discuss the craft of translation and his writing career.
- Main focus
- Translation and writing career of Srinath Perur
- Key Translations
- Ghachar Ghochar and Sakina’s Kiss by Vivek Shanbag, This Life at Play by Girish Karnad
- Early Influence
- Bangalore libraries in the 1980s
- First Book
- Travelogue 'If Its Monday It Must be Madurai'
- Current Work
- Feature writing and essays, including a National Geographic report