Government should support translation of Nepali literature

The shortlisting of ‘Song of the Soil’ will hopefully make international publishers cast about for books coming out from our part of the world.

‘Faatsung’, a Nepali-language novel written by Chuden Kabimo and translated into English as ‘Song of the Soil’ by Ajit Baral , has been shortlisted for this year's JCB Prize for Literature. The INR2.5 million (NRS4 million) prize is awarded annually to an outstanding work of fiction by an Indian author. Authors shortlisted for the prize receive INR100,000 and their translators 50,000. If the winning work is a translation, the translator receives an additional INR1 million. All five books shortlisted for this year's award are translations—a watershed moment for Indian literature.